Subject Guides

Literature Review and Evidence Synthesis

Librarian Review Assistance and Educational Services

The Subject Librarians at Binghamton University can provide various levels of services for all types of reviews.

Consultants for a team, offering education and feedback on the process
Co-authors, offering search strategy development and writing the methodology section of the final paper
Instruction services for groups or classes

Librarians can assist with student projects at the consultant level, but students are required to do the majority of their review.

*Consultant	**Co-Author	Instructor
Help determine what type of literature review fits your research question Provide education on review methodology Help refine your research question based on available evidence Recommend databases and gray literature sources Provide feedback and/or PRESS peer review on your search strategy Provide education on developing comprehensive search strategies Provide education on translating your search strategy between different databases Provide training on citation management and systematic review software As a consultant, your librarian can provide up to 3 hours of support for your project	Help determine what type of literature review fits your research question Provide education on review methodology Help refine your research question based on available evidence Select databases and gray literature sources Create the search strategy Translate the search strategy into the syntax of all chosen databases Perform searches and export them into a citation management/systematic review software Provide training on citation management and systematic review software Write the search strategy section of the protocol and manuscript Advise on writing article according to PRISMA guidelines Provide editorial feedback on the manuscript	Provide instruction for general to advanced search methodology Create tutorials for Brightspace Create instruction sessions/tutorials based upon specific assignments Work 1:1 or with groups of students Provide instruction for general to specific review methodology Provide consultation/guidance for student group reviews Provide instruction about various review tools (eg citation managers) Provide instruction regarding database navigation Provide instruction about how to search for grey literature Provide critical appraisal instruction Subject librarian instruction services can be developed to fit your specific class assignment or project needs

*Librarian acknowledgement is appreciated for consultant work

**Librarian co-authorship requires that the team complete the systematic review methodology according to the Cochrane or JBI guidelines and report the review according to the PRISMA standards.

Defining Roles of Authors and Contributors by The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
- Iverson, S., Seta, M. D., Lefebvre, C., Ritchie, A., Traditi, L., & Baliozian, K. (2021). International health library associations urge the ICMJE to seek information specialists as peer reviewers for knowledge synthesis publications. Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA, 109(3), 503–504. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2021.1301
Evidence to support how librarians add value to a systematic review
- Koffel JB, Rethlefsen ML. Reproducibility of search strategies is poor in systematic reviews published in high-impact Pediatrics, Cardiology and Surgery journals: a cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE 2016; 11(9): e0163309. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0163309

Search Strategy Peer Review Services

Get your literature search peer-reviewed by a searching professional!

For Scoping and Systematic Reviews this is considered best practice. The search strategy will be peer reviewed according to the PRESS checklist.

No matter your experience level with systematic reviews, it is always beneficial to have your search evaluated by a librarian. As search professionals, we are able to act as a second pair of eyes and provide valuable feedback on your search strategy.

Please contact your subject librarian or "Ask A Librarian" for assistance

Meeting with the Librarian

Recommended for the first meeting with the librarian:

A draft version of your research question
Available timeline or deadline for completion
Identified team members
Any questions related to the scoping or systematic review process

To be able to successfully advance further in the scoping or systematic review process, by the time of a second meeting with the librarians you will need to have:

5-10 exemplar articles that match your research question
A finalized research question
A draft of your inclusion/exclusion criteria
A rough plan for literature searching (such as databases to search and relevant keywords)