About Workshop
Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis: From Search Strategy to Evidence Synthesis is a 3-day mentor-led workshop that guides participants through the complete workflow of planning, conducting, and reporting a systematic review with an introduction to meta-analysis.
Participants will learn how to formulate review questions, develop search strategies, define eligibility criteria, manage references, screen studies, extract data, assess study quality, and synthesize evidence using tools such as **Zotero, Rayyan, CASP, JBI checklists, RoB 2, and ROBINS-I**.
The workshop is suitable for researchers, PhD scholars, academicians, healthcare professionals, postgraduate students, and professionals preparing literature reviews, theses, publications, policy studies, or evidence-based research projects.
Aim
The aim of this workshop is to equip participants with the conceptual understanding and practical skills required to conduct systematic reviews and understand the basics of meta-analysis using structured, transparent, and publication-oriented research workflows.
The workshop focuses on helping participants move from a research question to a documented review protocol, search strategy, screening process, quality appraisal matrix, and mini evidence synthesis summary.
What Participants Will Learn
- Plan a systematic review workflow.
- Frame review questions using PICO/PECO/SPIDER/PCC.
- Build search strategies and manage references.
- Screen studies and prepare a PRISMA-style summary.
- Create data extraction and quality appraisal tables.
- Understand evidence synthesis, forest plots, and meta-analysis basics.
- Prepare a concise review summary for research reporting.
Structure
📅 Day 1: Planning the Review and Search Strategy
Focus
Understanding the fundamentals of systematic reviews, review question development, eligibility criteria, and structured search planning.
Topics Covered
- Systematic review vs narrative review vs scoping review vs meta-analysis
- Formulating review questions using PICO, PECO, SPIDER, and PCC
- Defining inclusion and exclusion criteria
- Selecting databases for literature search
- Creating Boolean search strings and documenting search strategy
- Reference management and duplicate removal using Zotero
Tools / Practical Platforms
- Zotero
- PICO / PECO / SPIDER / PCC frameworks
- PRISMA-style workflow
Hands-on Session
- Review Question Development: Participants will create a structured review question using PICO, PECO, SPIDER, or PCC.
- Eligibility Criteria Preparation: Participants will define inclusion and exclusion criteria for their review topic.
- Search Strategy and Reference Organization: Participants will build a Boolean search strategy and organize references in Zotero.
📅 Day 2: Screening, Data Extraction, and Quality Appraisal
Focus
Learning how to screen studies, track decisions, extract data, and assess study quality using structured review methods.
Topics Covered
- Title, abstract, and full-text screening process
- Inclusion and exclusion decision tracking
- PRISMA-style flow diagram preparation
- Designing a data extraction table
- Extracting study characteristics and outcomes
- Risk of bias and quality appraisal basics
Tools / Practical Platforms
- Rayyan
- CASP Checklists
- JBI Checklists
- RoB 2 / ROBINS-I Guidance
Hands-on Session
- Study Screening: Participants will screen sample studies using inclusion and exclusion criteria.
- PRISMA Flow Summary: Participants will prepare a PRISMA-style study selection summary.
- Extraction and Appraisal Matrix: Participants will create a data extraction and quality appraisal matrix.
📅 Day 3: Evidence Synthesis and Meta-Analysis Basics
Focus
Understanding evidence synthesis methods, basic meta-analysis concepts, and interpretation of forest plots and pooled results.
Topics Covered
- Narrative synthesis vs quantitative synthesis
- Effect sizes and outcome measures
- Fixed-effect and random-effects models
- Heterogeneity and I² interpretation
- Forest plots and funnel plots
- PRISMA-style reporting and publication preparation
Tools / Practical Platforms
- Forest plot interpretation tools
- Evidence synthesis summary template
- PRISMA-style reporting checklist
Hands-on Session
- Forest Plot Interpretation: Participants will generate or interpret a basic forest plot.
- Evidence Synthesis Summary: Participants will prepare a concise evidence synthesis summary.
- Publication-Ready Reporting: Participants will organize key findings for PRISMA-style research reporting.
Important Dates
Registration Ends
4.30 pm
Workshop Dates
2026-06-04
5.30 PM
5.30 PM
What You Will Gain
- PhD scholars and research scholars
- Postgraduate and undergraduate students
- Faculty members and academicians
- Healthcare, life science, and public health researchers
- Professionals working on evidence-based research or policy studies
- Anyone interested in systematic reviews, meta-analysis, thesis writing, or research publication preparation
Outcomes
Deliverables
- PhD scholars and research scholars
- Postgraduate and undergraduate students
- Faculty members and academicians
- Healthcare, life science, and public health researchers
- Professionals working on evidence-based research or policy studies
- Anyone interested in systematic reviews, meta-analysis, thesis writing, or research publication preparation