Once you have considered your research question and identified a possible review type, fill out the Meeting Request Form to request a meeting with a librarian. During your meeting(s), the librarian will guide a conversation related to:
If you'd like to continue working with a librarian, then you'll fill out the Intake Form. This may take place either during the meeting or afterward, depending on the specifics of your previous experience, current stage of the project, etc. The Intake Form documents the research question, existing evidence, and needs of the research team, and helps ensure smooth communication between the librarian and the research team.
Once this has been completed, the librarian will work on a search strategy. This is an iterative, interactive process with the research team, to help ensure that the search is comprehensive, that the balance is right between precision and accuracy of the search, all relevant concepts are included and appropriately represented in the strategy, and that the risk of bias in the search strategy is mitigated. You will continue to have a combination of meetings, conversations, and email exchanges throughout this process.
Which librarian will you work with?
The librarian assigned to your project will depend on existing workload and availability. We will generally try to pair you with the librarian who liaises with your college, but this will not always be possible.
Once you have developed a search strategy with the librarian, you will register a search protocol. A search protocol is a document that establishes your research question, documents need for the search, and lays out your methodology. This is similar to a protocol used for a clinical trial, and helps to demonstrate transparency and an a priori methodology for the study. Once the protocol has been registered, then the librarian will conduct the search and load the results into Covidence.
What do librarians not do as part of the research team?
Librarians are not content experts, and therefore do not participate in the screening or abstraction stages of the review. Librarians do not manage the citations for the review, which can be largely managed with citation management software such as Zotero and EndNote. Librarians do not act as project managers for the research overall, but instead as expert collaborators on the search stage of the review.
How quickly will the librarian's search strategy be completed?
This depends on several factors, including the librarian's current workload, extent of the project, and availability of team members to meet and collaborate on the search strategy. Timelines and expectations will be addressed in the initial meeting. Please note that search strategy development can be a time-intensive process.
What if the librarian and PI disagree about the search strategy?
As with any partnership, the librarian and PI will work collaboratively from their different vantage points and expertise to come to consensus about the search strategy. However, if their expectations differ too widely from one another, either party may choose not to collaborate on the project.
Who completes the protocol registration?
The PI, lead author, or corresponding author will complete the protocol registration, with the librarian contributing the search strategy methodology.
Can a student research assistant be the point of contact for the librarian rather than the PI?
No, not entirely. The PI needs to be fully aware of the librarian's role on the team, which includes attending initial meetings regarding the research question, scope of the search, and search strategy. Student or staff research assistants may then work closely with the librarian on the iterative search strategy design process, while ensuring the PI remains up-to-date and in agreement with the direction of the project.
This seems like a lot of work. Is it worth it?
Yes, conducting an evidence synthesis project is a lot of work when done correctly. Working with a librarian may add time to the beginning stages of your project, but the planning work at the start will likely improve both your efficiency at later stages and confidence in your results. Adding a librarian to your team means that you do not need to build expert searching skills within your existing team members, and can instead rely on the expertise that already exists within your library.
When considering whether a systematic review (or other type of secondary research) is worth it, that will usually be answered by considering what type of evidence already exists. Consider the following questions: