FULL PROGRAMME HERE REGISTER HERE
Join us for our Winter School at Riddel Hall, Queen’s University Belfast, on 26th and 27th January 2027, for a hands-on two-day winter school on “Introduction to Systematic Reviews.” Run by Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, it is designed for those at the beginning of the systematic review process. Through short presentations, worked examples, live demonstrations and interactive polls, you’ll learn how systematic reviews are planned and conducted, from developing a protocol and searching for studies through to data extraction, risk of bias assessment, meta-analysis, interpretation and reporting.
Dates: Tuesday 26th & Wednesday 27th January 2027
Time: Day 1: 10:00 – 17:00; Day 2: 09:30 – 16:00
Location: Riddel Hall, Queen’s University Belfast, 185 Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5EE
Skill level: Introductory
Places: 100 places available for individuals who are resident on the island of Ireland
Registration fee: €150 general admission; €80 student admission
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the two days, participants will be able to:
- Describe the basic principles of a systematic review.
- Formulate a review question using PICO and identify the scope of their review.
- Describe the key sections of a systematic review protocol and why it should be registered.
- Explain search methods and how a search strategy is built.
- Apply the eligibility criteria for selecting studies.
- Explain the principles of creating a data collection form and of data extraction.
- Explain the principles of risk of bias assessment.
- Explain the concept of heterogeneity and describe the methods for assessing and addressing it.
- Describe the basic principles of meta-analysis and interpret a forest plot.
- Describe how the certainty of evidence is assessed with GRADE and presented in a summary of findings table.
- Outline what needs to be reported in a systematic review, using PRISMA.
Audience:
Healthcare professionals, academics, students, researchers, decision makers and Evidence Synthesis Ireland Fellows who are planning, or about to start, a systematic review.
Pre-requisites:
- A basic knowledge of health research
- An interest in learning more about the methods of a systematic review
- A phone, tablet or laptop: interactive sessions use live polling
Faculty:
- Prof. Bronwen Connolly, Professor of Critical Care, Queen’s University Belfast & Evidence Synthesis Ireland
- Dr. Emma McCall, Evidence Synthesis Research Fellow, NIHR Aberdeen-Belfast Evidence Collaboration (ABEC)
- Dr. Peter McGuigan, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast
- Dr. KM Saif-Ur-Rahman, Evidence Synthesis Methods Lead, Evidence Synthesis Ireland, University of Galway
- Prof. Declan Devane, Professor of Health Research Methodology, Evidence Synthesis Ireland, University of Galway
Full biographies are available in the programme.
Event Accommodation:
There are numerous hotels, bed and breakfasts and other accommodation providers in Belfast. Please see visitbelfast.com for further information or check other online booking sites.
Travel:
Riddel Hall is on Stranmillis Road in south Belfast, close to the main Queen’s University campus and about a 30-minute walk from the city centre. You can view the location on a map here.
Travelling to Belfast
Belfast has two airports with direct flights from many UK and European cities:
- George Best Belfast City Airport: About 20 minutes from Riddel Hall by road.
- Belfast International Airport: About 40 minutes from Riddel Hall by road.
Dublin Airport offers the most flight options and has direct coach services to Belfast. Belfast can also be reached by ferry from Scotland and England.
Visas
Belfast is in Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. You do not need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) if you have a British or Irish passport. If you live in Ireland and are from a country that would normally need an ETA, you do not need one when travelling from Ireland, but you should bring proof that you live in Ireland (for example, an Irish Residence Permit). If you’re from a country that needs a UK visa, you’ll need to apply for one before you travel. Check what you need here.
Getting to Belfast from elsewhere in Ireland
We recommend booking tickets online in advance. Options include:
- From Dublin City: The Enterprise train runs from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Grand Central Station, taking about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
- From Dublin Airport: Direct coaches operated by Aircoach and Translink run to Belfast city centre, taking around 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Getting Around Belfast
Translink Metro buses serve the city. Metro route 8 buses (such as the 8A and 8D) run from the city centre along University Road and Stranmillis Road, stopping close to the main entrance of Riddel Hall. For more details on routes and fares, visit:
Taxis are available from taxi ranks around the city or by app. Northern Ireland uses pounds sterling (£).
Belfast also has a public bike-share scheme, Belfast Bikes, with docking stations around the city.