Conducting research

Skills in this category

Evidence synthesis involves systematically developing a protocol and research question, comprehensively searching and screening literature, managing references, extracting and assessing data for bias, and synthesizing findings to answer a specific question.

This process ensures transparency, rigor, and a clear summary of available evidence.

Developing a research question

The research question is the crucial first step that sets the direction for the entire review.
Designing a protocol for evidence syntheses

The evidence synthesis protocol is a foundational step that serves as a blueprint for the research team.
Searching the literature

Literature searches are systematic and comprehensive efforts to identify all relevant studies on a specific research question.
Reference management

References and citations of identified literature should be systematically collected, organized, and tracked during the search process.
Screening the literature

Literature screening in evidence synthesis is a two-stage process used to identify studies that meet pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Data extraction

Data extraction in evidence synthesis involves systematically collecting relevant information from included studies using a standardized template or form.
Critical appraisal

Critical appraisal in evidence synthesis is the systematic evaluation of the methodological quality and external validity in each included study, focusing more on the methods used rather than just the results.
Data analysis

The data analysis part of evidence synthesis is where the extracted data from individual studies are combined, interpreted, and presented to answer the review question.
Drawing conclusions

Drawing conclusions involves synthesizing and integrating the data from included studies to answer the research question and assess the overall strength and consistency of the evidence.