Training

Overview:

Systematic reviews and evidence syntheses are powerful tools that compile and evaluate all relevant research on a particular question, providing a high-quality evidence base for decision-making. They are crucial for informing policy, guiding practice, and identifying future research needs—not just in health but across various sectors.

Join us for our Summer School at the University of Galway from May 26th to 28th, 2026, for a hands-on three-day summer school on “Introduction to Evidence Synthesis.” This course is tailored for beginners and those looking to refresh their skills. While the focus is on health, the methods taught are applicable in multiple fields. Through interactive lectures, discussions, and practical exercises, you’ll learn how to conduct systematic reviews and evidence syntheses that can influence research and policy decisions.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this summer school participants will:

• Understand the importance and principles of evidence synthesis, including systematic reviews.
• Understand how to formulate clear and focused research questions using appropriate frameworks.
• Learn how to develop a systematic review protocol following established guidelines.
• Know how to conduct comprehensive literature searches across multiple databases and sources.
• Gain knowledge of selecting relevant studies and extracting necessary data effectively.
• Understand the principles of assessing the risk of bias in different types of studies using standard tools.
• Understand the principles of both quantitative and qualitative synthesis methods.
• Be introduced to tools like GRADE to evaluate the certainty of evidence.
• Understand the application of these methods to their own research or professional practice across various sectors.
• Connect with peers and experts.

Audience:

Beginners and those with some knowledge seeking to learn or refresh their skills in evidence synthesis, Systematic review authors, guideline developers, health and social care professionals, academics, researchers, postgraduate students, policy and decision-makers, Evidence Synthesis Ireland Fellows and other professionals, anyone interested in evidence synthesis methods. 

Pre-requisites:

• Laptop required
• A basic understanding of research methods (not limited to health research)
• An interest in learning or enhancing knowledge on systematic reviews and evidence synthesis

Places:

100 available for individuals who are resident in Ireland & Northern Ireland

Accommodation:

There is limited accommodation available on the University’s campus in Dunlin Village (walking distance from venue), please click this booking link to secure your place.

Tickets:

General admission (researchers, academia, clinicians etc): €300
Student: €200
Industry: €600
Public and patients: Please email esi@universityofgalway.ie

Schedule:

To register, click here

This two half-days (3 hours each) workshop introduces participants to the comprehensive GRADE methodology of assessing the certainty of evidence. Through a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises, participants will learn to assess the certainty of evidence by evaluating key domains, including methodological limitations, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, and publication bias. The workshop also covers evidence upgrading criteria and provides a practical demonstration of using the GRADEpro software.

In this course, participants will be enabled to:

• Understand the basic principles of the GRADE approach and understand the individual steps in the assessment of the evidence and their impact on the strength of the recommendation
• Be able to create an evidence profile for a therapeutic intervention based on a systematic review
• Have a basic understanding of the GRADEpro GDT Software

The workshop combines interactive lectures with hands-on small–group exercises using Zoom breakout rooms and a demonstration of the GRADEpro GDT software. Evidence assessment domains are taught through a presentation followed by a practical exercise. Participants should go through the selected GRADE guidance papers provided in advance. 

Dates: 10th & 12th June 2026

Time: 10:00 – 13:00

Places: 25

Location: Online

Prices: General €100; Student €50

Prerequisites: Attendees should have knowledge in conducting and/or using systematic reviews as well as the basic principles of evidence-based healthcare, and the critical appraisal of research studies, especially RCTs

Skill Level: Introductory

Target Audience: Systematic review authors, guideline developers, health and social care professionals, academics, researchers, postgraduate students, decision makers, Evidence Synthesis Ireland Fellows and other professionals 

Facilitators:

Dr KM Saif-Ur-Rahman, Director of GRADE Ireland, Evidence Synthesis Methods Lead @ Evidence Synthesis Ireland

Prof. Declan Devane, Director of Evidence Synthesis Ireland & Cochrane Ireland, Professor of Health Research Methodology, University of Galway

To register, click here

This webinar will demonstrate the potential for artificial intelligence tools to enhance qualitative evidence synthesis, converting labour-intensive processes into efficient, transparent, and reproducible workflows without sacrificing methodological rigour. It will explain how to read the evolving AI landscape and align tool selection to specific qualitative synthesis tasks. Participants will learn to identify appropriate AI applications by matching tool capabilities to synthesis stages — from search and screening through to thematic or framework analysis and confidence assessment. The webinar will emphasise that transparent, critically evaluated AI assistance, supported by clear reporting and reflexive practice, is essential to bridge the gap between technological possibility and trustworthy synthesis. Attendees will leave with practical tools to map AI applications across the synthesis workflow, spot opportunities for responsible AI use, and deliver qualitative syntheses that are efficient and credible.

Speaker:

Andrew Booth is Professor in Evidence Synthesis, Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR) – University of Sheffield and adjunct Professor – University of Limerick. He is co-convenor of the Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group, a GRADE-CERQual core team member and a research associate of Evidence Synthesis Ireland/Cochrane Ireland. Andrew obtained his PhD from the University of Sheffield and has an MSc and Diploma in Librarianship (Distinction) from University of Wales, following a BA (First Class Hons). Andrew is a prolific trainer in qualitative and rapid reviews. As co-director of three evidence synthesis centres for UK National Institute for Health and Care Research he has conducted numerous realist syntheses focusing on searching for theory and for underpinning evidence. He is currently authoring the Realist Synthesis chapter for the Cochrane-Campbell Handbook of Qualitative Evidence Synthesis. In 2020 he collaborated with Evidence Synthesis Ireland to support the first Cochrane Rapid Qualitative Evidence Synthesis. His co-authored text Systematic Approaches for a Successful Literature Review is in its 3rd edition.

To register, click here

This webinar will:

• Describe what living evidence is and why living evidence is important
• Explain why living approaches are not sufficient to meet our evidence needs
• Give examples of innovations in research that are needed if evidence is going to be useful and used

Speaker:

Professor Tari Turner is Director of the Australian Living Evidence Collaboration and Professor (Research) at Cochrane Australia. Prof. Turner leads research developing and evaluating innovative methods for evidence synthesis, including living systematic reviews and living guidelines & novel methods for assessment of pre-clinical evidence in vaccine development. Tari’s passion is supporting evidence-based decision-making to ensure the best possible outcomes, particularly for women and children in low resource settings. She enjoys designing, finding, synthesising and communicating research, and she loves seeing research actually make a difference. Tari is an Editor of the Cochrane Library and Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods, a member of the European CDC Methodological Advisory Group and Chair of the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Ethics Committee. During the pandemic period, Tari led the Australian National Clinical Evidence Taskforce which developed ultra-rapid living guidelines for care of people with COVID-19 that were updated more than 130 times.

To register, click here

Speaker:

Prof. James Thomas is based at the EPPI Centre and his research is centred on improving policy and decision-making through more creative use and appreciation of existing knowledge. It covers substantive disciplinary fields – such as health promotion, public health and education – and also the development of tools and methods that support this work conducted both within UCL and in the wider community. He has written extensively on research synthesis, including meta-analysis.

To register, click here

This is an introductory webinar to the Qualitative Evidence Synthesis (QES) methodology of Meta-ethnography. Meta-ethnography is an interpretive approach to QES and, unlike a standard systematic review that might aggregate data, meta-ethnography seeks to “translate” findings across studies to produce a new, higher-order understanding of a phenomenon. The webinar will begin by briefly exploring the role, purpose and development of QES, before moving onto examining what meta-ethnography is, the kind of questions it can answer and the processes associated with it. Drawing on work from a key public health issue -smoking in pregnancy – the webinar will demonstrate how meta-ethnography was able to unpick real-world complexity, providing richer, more actionable insights for health care decision-makers.

Speaker:

Prof. Kate Flemming is an experienced academic in nursing and palliative care and is Head of Department for the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York. Kate’s research focuses on evaluating patient and carer experience of palliative care. A key area is around equity of access to palliative care services, in particular people who are homeless or vulnerably housed. This work is closely integrated with her methodological expertise in qualitative evidence synthesis; she is a co-convenor of the Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group.

To register, click here

Speaker:

Prof. Alex Todhunter-Brown is Professor of Evidence Synthesis within the Research Centre for Health (ReaCH), School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University. Alex is internationally recognised for her conduct and methodological development of evidence syntheses across a diverse range of health and social care topics, including stroke.  She is a key international leader in methods of involving patients and the public within evidence syntheses. Alex has over 110 publications, an h-index (Scopus) of 47, and is cited as being in the top 2% of scientists in her discipline.   Alex is currently a member of the Chief Scientist Office Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committee.

To register, click here

This webinar will provide attendees with a brief introduction to realist reviews (also known as realist syntheses). During the webinar we will cover what a realist review is and when it might be useful. Importantly, the webinar will cover the underpinning realist ontology that realist reviews are based on. It will also explain the concepts of generative causation, mechanisms, contexts, outcomes, programme theory and middle-range theories – understanding these being essential for any budding realist reviewer. The slides from the webinar will be made available later, and contain examples of realist reviews and further reading for those who wish to learn more about realist reviews.

Speaker:

Geoff Wong is Professor of Primary Care in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford. He is an internationally and nationally recognised expert in realist review and evaluation. He has extensive expertise in conducting and providing methodological support for both approaches as well in their methodological development. He led the two UK National Institute of Health Research funded projects that developed quality and reporting standards, and training materials for realist reviews and realist evaluations (www.ramesesproject.org). He works part time as a GP in the NHS in London.