Northwell/ZSOM Systematic Review

The Librarians at the Northwell Health/ZSOM Libraries are expert searchers who can support faculty investigators in conducting comprehensive literature searches for systematic reviews, assist with reference management and writing the search methodology section of the review.  Consider meeting with a librarian to discuss your systematic review project. Link to Guidelines

Key steps in searching for studies include:

• Identifying databases to be searched.
• Identifying search terminology.
• Constructing and running database searches.
• Conducting hand searches of specialized journals.
• Searching reference lists of relevant studies.
• Contacting recognized experts working in the field.
• Searching relevant grey literature sources (e.g. clinical trials registers, conference proceedings).

Building a Systematic Review Search Strategy 

• Step-by-step guide to constructing a systematic review search strategy from the University of Tasmania. 

The Librarian as part of the Systematic Review Team

Librarians are an integral part of your evidence synthesis project.  Studies have shown teams that include a librarian write more comprehensive and reproducible reviews than teams without a librarian (click here to review the research (permalink for LibGuide). Cochrane Handbook section 4.2.1, IOM standard 3.1.1, and the Reporting Guidelines for PRISMA-S all highly recommend the significant involvement of a medical librarian in a systematic review (click here to review the manuals and guidelines permalink).