Day 1: Defining a Focused and Answerable Research Question
This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the essential tools and frameworks that underpin evidence-based research and systematic reviews. Designed for students, early-career researchers, and healthcare professionals, the course builds a solid foundation in understanding how to frame focused research questions, structure transparent methodologies, and apply global best practices in scientific reporting.
🔍 What You Will Learn:
The core principles and importance of research in healthcare and science.
How to formulate structured research questions using the PICO/PECO framework.
Understanding the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
An introduction to PROSPERO, the international registry for systematic review protocols.
How to develop an effective search strategy using keywords, Boolean logic, and databases.
By the end of the course, learners will be equipped with the skills to initiate and conduct high-quality, transparent, and reproducible systematic research.
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Day 2: Literature Gathering and Introduction to Zotero
Day 2 of the course focuses on the essential skills required to find, organize, and cite relevant scientific literature. Students and early-stage researchers often struggle with filtering high-quality evidence and managing citations effectively — this session bridges that gap.
🔍 What You Will Learn:
Crafting effective search strategies using Boolean operators, truncation, MeSH terms, and phrase searches.
Narrowing results with filters and building complex search strings.
Practical training on Zotero, a free and powerful reference manager to save, organize, and cite research articles effortlessly.
Real-time practice with PubMed and Elicit.org to build hands-on experience.
By the end of the session, learners will confidently retrieve relevant research and organize it in a structured and citable manner using Zotero
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Day 03: Screening & Selecting Studies Systematically
Day 3 shifts the focus from collecting articles to carefully screening and selecting the most relevant studies using structured eligibility criteria. This stage bridges the gap between finding literature and appraising its quality. Participants will learn how to filter out irrelevant or low-quality papers through a transparent, unbiased process using tools like Rayyan and Zotero.
🎯 Key Highlights:
Understand the study screening process using title/abstract and full-text review.
Define clear eligibility criteria based on PICO elements.
Use AI tools (like Rayyan.ai) to streamline the screening process.
Organize and track progress using Zotero tags and the PRISMA flow diagram.
Be prepared to move into critical appraisal next.
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Day 04: Understanding Data, Critical Appraisal & Data Extraction
Day 4 transitions participants into the analytical core of a systematic review — understanding and extracting data and critically appraising the quality of studies. With screening completed, this step ensures only high-quality, relevant data makes it to the final synthesis. Participants will also explore AI-assisted workflows to streamline their process.
🎯 Key Highlights:
Learn the types of data used in research and their statistical relevance.
Practice data extraction: what to pull out, where to find it, and how to document it.
Use appraisal checklists tailored to study design.
Get hands-on with critical appraisal and statistical basics.
Start preparing your dataset for synthesis and writing.
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Day 05: Data Synthesis and Interpretation
Day 5 marks the final and most critical stage of the systematic review process. After identifying eligible studies, assessing their quality, and extracting relevant data, participants now learn how to bring all the pieces together through data synthesis and interpretation.
This session focuses on:
🔹 Making sense of multiple study findings
🔹 Identifying patterns or inconsistencies
🔹 Drawing meaningful conclusions
🔹 Presenting the overall evidence in a coherent, structured way
Participants will be introduced to narrative synthesis — the most commonly used method in early-stage systematic reviews — and guided through the steps to synthesize data effectively. Emphasis will also be placed on identifying common pitfalls, using AI tools to support the process, and maintaining transparency while dealing with conflicting evidence.
🎯 By the end of Day 5, participants will be able to:
✔️ Group, summarize, and compare results across studies
✔️ Interpret key findings in a meaningful way
✔️ Create basic summary tables and syntheses
✔️ Use free tools to assist in data organization
✔️ Write a clear, evidence-informed narrative
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Day 06: From Critical Evaluation to Academic Expression
Day 6 bridges the gap between analyzing research quality and expressing it academically. Participants will explore how to critically appraise studies using tools like RoB 2 (for randomized trials) and AMSTAR 2 (for systematic reviews). These tools help ensure that the studies included in a review are reliable, unbiased, and high quality. 🧪✅
In the second half, the focus shifts to academic writing, teaching participants how to present research findings clearly, formally, and evidence-based. They'll also get a beginner-friendly walkthrough of how to structure a systematic review paper. 📄✍️
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Assess bias and review quality using established tools 🧠
Write in a formal, structured academic style 📘
Recognize and follow the basic structure of a systematic review 🧩
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Day 07
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Day 08
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Exercise Files