Evidence synthesis: How librarians can help

TY - CONF

T1 - Evidence synthesis

T2 - University of Dundee Scholarship Conference 2025

AU - McGregor, Scott

A2 - Smith, Julie

A2 - Duke-Williams, Emma

A2 - Holme, Richard

A2 - Srinivasan, Sundar

A2 - Spark, Gordon

A2 - Martindale, Linda

A2 - Kinnear, Susan

N1 - © 2025 The Author.

PY - 2025/10/6

Y1 - 2025/10/6

N2 - Evidence synthesis seeks to identify, evaluate and combine data from existing research studies to provide best evidence for treatments, tests and interventions. This helps decision-making, and provides evidence for practice and policy-making as well as identifying gaps in the research. This normally includes a methodical and comprehensive synthesis of literature focused on a well-formulated research question. Evidence syntheses should be based on systematic processes to identify and collate relevant evidence that meets pre-specified eligibility criteria and to minimise the influence of bias. Combining individual study results and considering differences can reduce uncertainty and help make sense of conflicting study findings. Whatever kind of evidence synthesis is conducted, appropriate, rigorous and transparent methods must be used so that the conclusions can be trusted. The librarian team at the University of Dundee can provide guidance on review methodologies, recommend databases, protocol registration platforms, and support using review management software (1). Engaging with your librarian provides a point of contact as you progress through your evidence synthesis project, and can help improve the documentation of your evidence synthesis methods section (2). Topics to be discussed will include training opportunities for staff and researchers, examples of librarians as collaborators in evidence synthesis, the learning resources currently available from the library, and future plans being developed.

AB - Evidence synthesis seeks to identify, evaluate and combine data from existing research studies to provide best evidence for treatments, tests and interventions. This helps decision-making, and provides evidence for practice and policy-making as well as identifying gaps in the research. This normally includes a methodical and comprehensive synthesis of literature focused on a well-formulated research question. Evidence syntheses should be based on systematic processes to identify and collate relevant evidence that meets pre-specified eligibility criteria and to minimise the influence of bias. Combining individual study results and considering differences can reduce uncertainty and help make sense of conflicting study findings. Whatever kind of evidence synthesis is conducted, appropriate, rigorous and transparent methods must be used so that the conclusions can be trusted. The librarian team at the University of Dundee can provide guidance on review methodologies, recommend databases, protocol registration platforms, and support using review management software (1). Engaging with your librarian provides a point of contact as you progress through your evidence synthesis project, and can help improve the documentation of your evidence synthesis methods section (2). Topics to be discussed will include training opportunities for staff and researchers, examples of librarians as collaborators in evidence synthesis, the learning resources currently available from the library, and future plans being developed.

U2 - 10.20933/100001458

DO - 10.20933/100001458

M3 - Paper

Y2 - 2 September 2025 through 3 September 2025

ER -