About

Are you interested in conducting a systematic review or evidence synthesis but unsure how to get started?  Librarians with expertise in evidence synthesis are offering the Evidence Synthesis Savvy Researcher Workshop series.  This series provides crucial training necessary for conducting an evidence synthesis including definitions, methods, and tools.

The workshop series offers insights into different types of literature reviews, including systematic reviews and scoping reviews, systematic searching techniques and strategies, and the use of AI tools.  See below for details.

Systematic Reviews: The What, Why and How

Description

Systematic reviews are a form of structured research that requires a comprehensive collection, appraisal, and summary of all research on a topic. Systematic reviews are high-impact publications that carry weight to inform evidence-based decision making. After attending this workshop, you will be able to describe:

1. The definition, history and value of systematic reviews
2. An overview of the steps and processes of conducting a systematic review
3. Some systematic review quality indicators

Instructor

Anna Liss Jacobsen, Medical and Biomedicine Librarian, Assistant Professor

Audience

Undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, and faculty

Dates / Locations

In Person:  September 9, Tuesday, from 4-5 PM

Grainger Engineering Library Information Center

Grainger Commons, Room 233/235

1301 W. Springfield Ave

Urbana, IL 61801

Click to Register

Zoom:  September 12, Friday, from 11-noon

Zoom link available upon registration

Click to Register

Introduction to Types of Literature Reviews

Description

Did you know that there are multiple methodologies to create literature reviews, with different aims, goals, protocols, and outcomes?  Attend this workshop to learn about the range of evidence synthesis (literature review) methodologies, from a traditional narrative review to rigorous reviews such as systematic reviews and umbrella reviews. We will discuss 12 types of reviews, identify the similarities and differences between them and provide insight into how to select the review type that is best suited for your project.  

Instructor

Megan Sapp-Nelson, Professor and Head, Grainger Engineering Library Information Center

Audience

Undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, and faculty

Dates / Locations

In person:  September 16, Tuesday, from 4-5 PM

Grainger Engineering Library Information Center

Grainger Commons, Room 233/235

1301 W. Springfield Ave

Urbana, IL 61801

Click to Register

Zoom:  September 19, Friday, from 11-noon

Zoom link available upon registration

Click to Register

Learning a New-to-You Database

Description

Scholarly databases feature common operators and special features that allow you to create more precise search results. The more you use these features and tools, the better your search experience will be. In this workshop, we talk about these search operators, special characters and limiters and discuss how to learn a new database in a way that is efficient and effective. This workshop will include hands-on time, so bring a computer and search along with us.

Instructor

Megan Sapp-Nelson, Professor and Head, Grainger Engineering Library Information Center

Audience

Undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, and faculty

Dates / Locations

In person:  Tuesday, 9/23 from 4-5 PM

Grainger Engineering Library Information Center

Grainger Commons, Room 233/235

1301 W. Springfield Ave

Urbana, IL 61801

Click to Register

Zoom: Friday, 9/26 from 11-noon

Zoom link available upon registration

Click to Register

Connecting Research Questions to Databases: Understanding the Role of Knowledge Organization in Search Strategy Design

Description

This intensive workshop is designed for those looking to systematically advance their database search skills, particularly in the social sciences. It will provide a big picture understanding of the database searching process and cover the following key areas:

1. An introduction to human knowledge organization systems and how they relate to effective search strategies
2. Research question frameworks to help translate your topic into searchable terms
3. Guidance on incorporating controlled vocabulary (e.g., thesauri) into your searches, with a focus on evidence synthesis projects
4. Practical tools and template examples to help you search more efficiently and confidently.

Whether you're new to advanced searching or ready to sharpen your skills, this workshop will equip you with concepts and resources you can apply immediately.

Pre-requisite:  Attendees should have a basic understanding of Boolean Searching (AND, OR, NOT)

Instructor

Yali Feng, Behavioral Sciences Research and Data Services Librarian, Assistant Professor

Audience

Undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, and faculty

Dates / Locations

In person:  September 30, Tuesday, from 4-5 PM

Grainger Engineering Library Information Center

Grainger Commons, Room 233/235

1301 W. Springfield Ave

Urbana, IL 61801

Click to Register

Zoom:  Friday, 10/03 from 11-noon

Zoom link available upon registration

Click to Register

AI Tools for Systematic Reviews and Evidence Synthesis

Description

Systematic reviews require a rigorous and systematic approach to reviewing existing literature and discovering new knowledge. As the number of scholarly publications rapidly increases across all disciplines, AI tools hold promise for keeping pace with the expanding literature. Yet, with the growing number of AI tools available for research assistance, choosing the right tool for the systematic review process has become challenging. Additionally, not all AI tools marketed as "research assistants" for evidence synthesis are as effective as they claim to be. Researchers found that selecting the right tools and applying them at the appropriate stages of the review process is crucial for providing needed support.

This presentation will explain how AI tools work and discuss their practical use in the systematic review process. Topics include: 

1. AI tools for systematic reviews and their effectiveness
2. Evaluating methods for AI tools
3. Use cases for using AI tools in the systematic review process

Participants are encouraged to bring their own use cases to share with the group.

Instructor

Sarah Park, Assistant Professor and Head, Mathematics Library

Audience

Undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, and faculty

Date / Location

Zoom:  October 10, Friday, from 11-noon

Zoom link available upon registration

Click to Register

Scoping Reviews: Purpose and Process

Description

A Scoping Review is a type of evidence synthesis that represents an exploration of research literature to understand the depth and breadth of research related to a specific question or topic. A scoping review maps concepts from the literature to reveal trends, themes, and gaps in the research area to inform, and provide context for further exploration or examination. This workshop covers the what-why-& how of scoping reviews, including research question framework, search strategies and screening results. Finally, key differences between scoping reviews and systematic reviews will be described.

Instructor

Anna Liss Jacobsen, Medical and Biomedicine Librarian, Assistant Professor

Audience

Undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, and faculty

Dates / Locations

In person:  October 14, Tuesday, from 4-5 PM

Grainger Engineering Library Information Center

Grainger Commons, Room 233/235

1301 W. Springfield Ave

Urbana, IL 61801

Click to Register

Zoom:  October 17, Friday, from 11-noon

Zoom link available upon registration

Click to Register