Evidence Synthesis Software at OU (Trials until April 30, 2024)
- RayyanRayyan provides guided online software for streamlining evidence synthesis, such as systematic reviews, scoping reviews, gap maps, as well as narrative (unstructured) literature reviews. Rayyan imports from citation managers such as Zotero and Endnote, allowing users to filter studies with machine learning or record screening and voting records per studies. Rayyan also helps screen abstracts and full text and provides access to deduplication and systematic auto resolvers for detecting and managing duplicate references using AI.
To sign up for this trial, create a Rayyan account with an ou.edu email. If you have an existing Rayyan account and wish to be added to the trial, email Librarian Claire Curry
with your name and ou.edu email address. The OU community has unlimited access and reviews during this trial period.
OU Libraries is trialing this resource until April 30th, 2024. - CovidenceCovidence provides guided online software for streamlining evidence synthesis, such as systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and gap maps. This software works with citation managers such as Zotero and Endnote, allowing users to filter studies with machine learning or record screening and voting records per studies. Covidence also screens abstracts and full text, creates risk of bias tables, and exports results to common statistical packages.
To sign up for this trial, email Librarian Claire Curry
with your name and ou.edu email address. The OU community has unlimited access and reviews during this trial period, but user accounts must be set up manually by invitation.
OU Libraries is trialing this resource until April 30th, 2024.
Starting points
- Types of evidence synthesis and literature review"Evidence synthesis refers to any method of identifying, selecting, and combining results from multiple studies. " A literature (narrative) review is one of the most common types of evidence synthesis.
- A Guide to Evidence Synthesis: Steps in a Systematic Review"tabs describe each evidence synthesis step in more detail, as well as provide resources and guidance." This is a great guide to all the steps of evidence synthesis.
- What kind of review are you conducting?This peer-reviewed article describes, in depth, different types of reviews. It's best to start with your research question and choose the review type that matches it.
- How long does it take to conduct evidence synthesis research?"While screening titles and abstracts is widely considered time-consuming, metadata extraction and critical appraisal took as long or longer to complete"
- How to do a literature reviewThis guide will help you do a narrative literature review as either a stand-alone project or as part of a dissertation, thesis, or other research project.
Structured/Systematized Literature Reviews
- Planning worksheet for structured literature reviewsFor one-person teams (aka most dissertations, theses, and class projects) or teams with short time availability, a structured review is a great way to synthesize evidence.
Templates
- Evidence Synthesis Protocol Template"This document is based on the PRISMA Statement (evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analyses) extensions for systematic review protocols and scoping reviews, and materials developed by The Campbell Collaboration" If you decide to do a systematic review instead of structured or narrative, this document is a good place to start.
- Example and template for search strategy/translation and logging exemplarsA template that helps you assemble search terms, track your searches, and record your searches between databases.
- Evidence synthesis and systematic reviews support toolkit"This toolkit contains resources, templates and other useful materials for researchers undertaking evidence synthesis projects such as systematic or scoping reviews." The templates are for task lists, Covidence screening software, and mining seed papers for search terms.