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Research Support: Evidence Synthesis

Research training resources for case reports, educational research, evidence synthesis, and literature searching.

Guidelines

Source: Cochrane Consumers & Communication Review Group  (Infographics are free to use and licensed under Creative Commons)

Steps for scoping reviews

Books & eBooks

Tools & Software for Evidence Synthesis Projects

  • Yale MeSH Analyzer
    • Free, web-based
    • Search strategy phase
    • Use: upload your sample/validation set (up to 20 records at a time) by PMID to get a grid with all MeSH headings and author keywords. Useful in developing search strategy that captures all known relevant articles. See an example and explanation here.
  • PubMed PubReMiner
    • Free, web-based
    • Search strategy phase
    • Use PMID to get all abstracts and generate frequency tables. Frequency of journal, author words, MeSH. Can be used to refine search strategy, find experts in the field, research interests of an author, determine the journal to submit your work.
  • MeSH on Demand
    • Free, web-based
    • Search strategy phase
    • Identifies MeSH terms and similar articles in PubMed based on your submitted text (abstract or manuscript – up to 5 pages). See a video here.
  • Polyglot Search Translator
    • Free, web-based
    • Search translation tool
    • Part of the Systematic Review Accelerator (SRA) tool developed by Bond University, Polyglot Search allows you to enter a PubMed or Ovid MEDLINE search query which is then automatically translated into strategies for multiple databases: PubMed/Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus. The translated search strategies can then be copied and pasted into the relevant database search boxes.
  • Citation Chaser
    • Free. Web-based app or R package
    • Search strategy phase
    • This tool automates forward and backward citation searching
  • Abstrackr
    • Free, web-based
    • Screening phase
    • Helps you upload and organize the results of a literature search for a systematic review. It also makes it possible for your team to screen, organize, and manipulate all of your abstracts in one place.
    • Drawbacks: laggy, does not detect for duplicates, does not support full-text screening, does not support data abstraction
  • Rayyan
    • Free and subscription versions, web-based and app
    • Screening phase
    • AI-powered research collaboration platform. Features include streamlined inclusion/exclusion decision-making, blind decisions from teammates, highlight keywords for inclusion/exclusion, identify conflicts, track project progress, export decisions
    • Drawbacks: Only set up for 1 level of review. Bulk load of PDFs is wonky. Doesn’t allow for data abstraction.
  • Distiller SR
    • Subscription, web-based
    • Screening, data extraction, reporting
    • Can deduplicate results, has customizable review forms, keyword highlighting in title/abstracts, assigns references to reviewers
    • Drawbacks: cost, not intuitive to use, one person per institution is the admin and must create accounts
  • ASReview
    • Free, open-source download
    • Screening phase
    • Tool for automated title/abstract screening using human in the loop machine learning. Can identify articles that need human screening faster
  • Covidence
    • Subscription, web-based
    • Screening, data extraction, quality assessment
    • Can deduplicate search results. Reviewers from outside organizations can be invited. Feeds into PRISMA diagram. Tracks team progress. Lots of customer support available.
    • Drawbacks: PDF bulk upload is cumbersome.
  • SysRev
    • Free and subscription versions, web-based
    • Screening, data extraction, quality assessment
    • Optimizes the screening and extraction process with a combination of machine learning, collaboration and automated project management
    • Drawbacks: Interface is busy/overwhelming, high learning curve, no deduplication feature, product is still in development