Working on a systematic review? Librarians at Himmelfarb are available to help you! A 2015 study noted that systematic reviews conducted with librarian or information specialist co-authors were more likely to achieve key quality measures in search strategy, documentation, and reproducibility. [1]
We can offer:
Any or all of these services are freely provided as part of the regular services offered by Himmelfarb librarians. Due to staffing levels, we are only able to work on a few systematic reviews simultaneously. Please contact us in advance so that we can coordinate the workload among the librarians in the reference department.
Once involved in a systematic review project, we would prefer:
The following table describes the systematic review services offered by Himmelfarb librarians. This list reflects our common practices in assisting students and faculty - however, you and your project librarian will develop a set of mutual expectations based on the circumstances of your project.
| Students | Faculty |
|---|---|
| Provide guidance on overall SR process | Provide guidance on overall SR process |
| Provide guidance on PRISMA reporting requirements | Provide guidance on PRISMA reporting requirements |
| Give instruction on where to find SR protocols | Give instruction on where to find SR protocols |
| Give guidance on identifying relevant existing SR protocols | Identify relevant existing SR protocols |
| Give guidance on identifying existing SR on same topic | Identify relevant existing SR on same topic |
| Assist in developing PICO/PICOTS question | Assist in developing PICO/PICOTS question |
| Give guidance in determining relevant databases to search | Give guidance in determining relevant databases to search |
| Guide the construction of an appropriate search strategy | Construct appropriate search strategy |
| Guide the translation of search startegy into other databases | Translate search startegy into other databases |
| Give instruction on executing the search | Execute the search |
| Give guidance on exporting results into Covidence | Export results into Covidence and assist with finding/uploading full text |
| Advise on documentation of search strategies, results, PRISMA diagrams, etc. | Advise on documentation of search strategies, results, PRISMA diagrams, etc. |
| The librarian may be acknowledged in any resulting publications at student's discretion | The librarian is listed as a co-author on any resulting publications |
More detailed information about how to conduct a systematic review can be found on our Systematic Reviews Research Guide. For further information or to request librarian assistance with a systematic review, please contact either your liaison librarian or the Reference and Instruction department (himmelfarb@gwu.edu or 202-994-2850).
References:
1) Rethlefsen, M.L., Farrell, A.M., Osterhaus Trzasko, L.C., & Brigham, T.J. (2015). Librarian co-authors correlated with higher quality reported search strategies in general internal medicine systematic reviews. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 68(6), 617-26. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.11.025. [Find full text]
The Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library
Questions? Ask us.
