Systematic reviews support

Need help with a systematic review? 

University of Waterloo librarians are available to provide a range of support services for research teams, faculty and students who are conducting systematic reviews and other knowledge synthesis projects such as scoping reviews, meta-analysis, literature reviews, etc.

Our expertise

The specialization of the librarian encompasses the activities typically engaged by the role of the information specialist on a systematic review research team. This includes:

• Formulation of research question
• Development of search methods including academic database selection and search strategy construction
• Grey literature searching
• Management of references and organization of the screening process
• Library services such as interlibrary loan (ILL)
• Expertise in critical appraisal
• Writing the methods section for manuscript

Contact the librarian for your department or school for further assistance or to arrange a meeting.

Our services

We offer different types of services depending on the type of project and researchers involved, e.g. grant-funded project vs student dissertation or coursework. These include:

• Consultation: one to two-hour meeting to discuss the project and provide guidance and advice
• Education: work with members of the research team to ensure that everyone has the understanding and skills necessary to conduct systematic search methods
• Co-researcher: join the research team as a contributing member with full co-author participation. This level of contribution must be negotiated at the start of the project.