Software to assist with evidence synthesis
Software type |
Examples |
Can assist with... |
| Citation Management Software | Zotero, EndNote | Data Collection |
| Review Management Software | Covidence, Rayann, Catchii | Title & Abstract Screening; Full Text Screening; Data Extraction |
| Citation Plugins for Word Processors | Zotero plugin for Word or Google Docs; EndNote Cite While You Write for Word or Google Docs | In-text citations; Creating your bibliography |
Conducting handbooks and guidelines
Handbook |
Disciplines covered |
Review types covered |
| Cochrane Guides and Handbooks | Health Sciences | Systematic reviews |
| JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis | Health Sciences | Systematic reviews; scoping reviews |
| Cochrane Public Health Resources | Public Health | Systematic reviews |
| National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools Rapid Review Guidebook | Public Health | Rapid reviews |
| Campbell Collaboration | Social Sciences | Systematic reviews; evidence and gap maps; scoping reviews; rapid reviews; umbrella reviews |
Reporting standards
Standard |
Disciplines covered |
Review types covered |
|
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) |
Any | Systematic reviews; meta-analyses |
| Methodological Expectations of Campbell Collaboration Intervention Reviews (MECCIR) | Health Sciences | Systematic reviews of intervention effects |
| Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews (MECIR) | Health Sciences | Systematic reviews |
| PRISMA-ScR | Any | Scoping reviews |
| APA Journal Article Reporting Standards- Quantitative (JARS-Quant) | Psychology | All; meta-analyses |
Finding other systematic reviews
A helpful way to inform your work is to look at already published reviews in the field(s) you will be working in. Different databases and platforms will have varied ways of finding these.
Cochrane Library contains entirely systematic reviews.
EBSCO databses like CINAHL have a publication type option that is "Systematic Review."
In PubMed, you may search systematic review[publication type] as part of a basic search, or use advanced search to select publication type.
Helpful web tools
Point of need |
Example tools |
Can assist with... |
| What is the risk of bias in my study? | Risk of Bias due to Missing Evidence (ROB-ME) | Assessing risk of bias from missing studies in a meta-analysis |
| How can I speed up some systematic review processes? | SR-Accelerator (SRA) | Set of web-based tools to assist with automating a variety of SR-related tasks (NOT a replacement for a full team) |
| How can I improve my search strategy? | MedSyntax:; MeSH Analyzer | Identifying additional index terms or fixing syntax for searches |