Section outline

  • Course Overview

    This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the process of conducting a systematic review, including carrying out scoping searches, developing inclusion criteria, writing a protocol, screening titles, and extracting and quality assessing data. 

    Learning Outcomes

    This course will help you to:

    1. Recognize what a systematic review is and how it differs from other types of evidence syntheses 
    2. Identify what scoping searches are and how to carry them out 
    3. Screen the titles and abstracts of potentially eligible studies 
    4. Recognize why, when, and how to undertake your data extraction 

    • Course Instructors

      • Dr. Angela Boland

        Dr. Angela Boland is an academic health economist, whose research mostly focusses on economic evaluation methods within Health Technology Assessment research. She holds a BA Hons in Spanish and Economics, an MSc and PhD in Health Economics, and a postgraduate certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. Angela has worked at the University of Liverpool for almost 30 years. She is the current Director of the Liverpool Reviews and Implementation Group (LRiG), and the Co-Director of the Liverpool EvideNce Synthesis Group (LENS). She is co-editor of the Sage textbook, Doing a Systematic Review: A Student’s Guide.

        View Bio for Dr. Angela Boland

      • Dr. Gemma Cherry

        Dr. Gemma Cherry is an academic clinical psychologist, whose research mostly focusses on improving the experiences of people living with long-term health conditions, especially cancer. She holds a BSc in Psychology, a PhD in Medical Education, a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and a Certificate in Professional Studies in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. She is currently employed as a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Liverpool, alongside an honorary Clinical Psychology post at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Trust. Gemma has been developing her expertise in evidence synthesis methodology since 2008, and has published over 30 evidence syntheses. She is the lead editor of the Sage textbook, Doing a Systematic Review: A Student’s Guide.

        View Bio for Dr. Gemma Cherry

      • Dr. Michelle Maden

        Dr. Michelle Maden is a Lecturer in Evidence Synthesis in the Liverpool Evidence Synthesis Group (LENS) at the University of Liverpool. She is a qualified information specialist with over 20 years of experience conducting all types of evidence synthesis. Michelle has worked on several large evidence synthesis grants funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and The UK Health Foundation. She supervises Master’s and PhD students undertaking systematic reviews, and has a PG Cert in Higher Education Teaching and Learning Support. Her PhD explored how systematic reviewers could incorporate health inequality considerations in systematic reviews.

        View Bio for Dr. Michelle Maden

      • Pre-Course Self Assessment

        Before you dive into this course, spend a few moments reflecting on your familiarity with the topic and your current level of skills confidence. 

        You will then re-visit the same questions in our Post-Course Self Assessment and reflect on how the course has helped you develop in confidence and grow your skills. 

        • Module One: What Is a Systematic Review?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Recognize what a systematic review is and how it differs from other types of evidence syntheses 
          2. Identify the steps involved in carrying out a systematic review 
          3. Assess when it might be appropriate to conduct a systematic review 

        • Module Two: How Do I Define the Scope of a Systematic Review?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Refine and clarify your review question 
          2. Identify what scoping searches are and how to carry them out 
          3. Develop and refine your inclusion and exclusion criteria 
          4. Write your review protocol 

        • Module Three: How Do I Find Appropriate Evidence?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Identify the most appropriate bibliographic databases to search 
          2. Design your search strategy  
          3. Screen the titles and abstracts of potentially eligible studies 
          4. Select full-text papers for inclusion in your review 
          5. Report the methods and results of your search for evidence 

        • Module Four: How Do I Extract, Summarize, and Assess Relevant Data?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Recognize why, when, and how to undertake your data extraction 
          2. Report the results of your data extraction 
          3. Identify quality assessment tool(s) that suit your review 
          4. Tabulate and summarize the results of your quality assessment 

        • References and Glossary of Key Terms

          In addition to the glossary you’ll find woven throughout the course, you can find the full glossary collated in one place here.

        • Post-Course Self Assessment

          Now you’ve completed the course, spend a few moments reflecting on where your familiarity with the topics and your confidence skills levels are at now. 

          Has the course helped you develop new skills and grow your confidence?

          You'll need to complete the Post-Course Self Assessment in order to download your certificate. If you didn't do the Pre-Course Self Assessment before starting the course, please go to the top of the page and reflect on your familiarity with the topic and your level of skills confidence before you started the course.

          • Completion: Certificate

            Completing all modules (plus the pre and post-course assessments) will unlock the course certificate, which you can then download here. Your course certificate will only be made available once you have completed all these sections.

            If you have difficulty accessing your certificate, please contact the Sage support team at: onlinesupport@sagepub.co.uk. You can also check out this FAQ page which may be helpful.

            • Give Feedback About This Course

              Did you enjoy the course? Please take two minutes to share your feedback. We use learner feedback in future course updates and developments to provide an excellent learning experience.

            • Accessibility

              We have high standards of accessibility on Sage Campus and as of May/June 2024 all activities within this course are keyboard and screen reader compatible. For more details on accessibility standards, please see the Sage Campus Accessibility Guide.

              For those using assistive technology, please note that within this course:

              • Tab components: JAWS and NVDA behave slightly differently. For NVDA to keep reading, it is best to exit focus mode and go back to browse mode. 
              • Matching: JAWS does not read out question label on dropdown focus.