Introduction to Systematic Reviews

Department
Interdisciplinary Medicine
Course Number
IDIS 303
Course Title Introduction to Systematic Reviews
Course Director
Laura Abate, MSLS; Tom Harrod, MLS, MS
Length (Weeks)

2

When Offered

Weeks 8-9 and 24-25

Prerequisites

None

Availability Notes
Contact Name
Tom Harrod
Contact Phone
Contact Fax
Contact Email
tph@gwu.edu
Other Contacts

Laura Abate (leabate [at] gwu [dot] edu (leabate[at]gwu[dot]edu))

Location

Online Course 

Limit
10
Report

Course meets online

Evaluation

Grading is Pass/Fail (pass = 75%) comprised of the following: final project (50%); midpoint reflection paper (20%); attendance (mandatory at all sessions) (15%); active engagement/collaboration/discussion (15%)

Description

This course will prepare students to develop a systematic review, including: developing a question, identifying data sources, developing comprehensive search strategies, formulating inclusion/exclusion criteria, as well as managing results and proper record-keeping.   Students will learn how a systematic review differs from other similar publication types as well as the role of systematic reviews in the healthcare environment. Students will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of systematic reviews and assess the methodology of published reviews. During the course, students will develop the components of a systematic review protocol, a planning document to conduct a systematic review.  

Target Students: This course is designed for MS3 and MS4 students who plan to be involved in research or academic medicine and are interested in learning about best practices for conducting evidence synthesis work. Developing these skills will help students conduct and interpret systematic reviews and related review types.

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. Describe the key features of a systematic review.
  2. Discuss the standard methodology for performing a systematic review.
  3. Create a plan for performing a systematic review.
Additional Notes