Recap — Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Workshop 2026 Strengthens Evidence-Based Research Skills

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Published on March 9, 2026

The 2026 Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (SRMA) Workshop brought together an engaged cohort of researchers from York University, the University of Toronto, and collaborators from the Global Strategy Lab for an intensive four-day training held from February 17–20, 2026.

Led by Professor Godfred O. Boateng (York University) and Professor Reginald Quansah (University of Ghana), and supported by facilitators from the Dahdaleh Institute of Global Health Research, the workshop provided participants with a comprehensive introduction to the principles, methodologies, and practical steps involved in conducting high-quality systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Through a combination of lectures, interactive discussions, and hands-on exercises, participants gained practical skills in developing review protocols, conducting structured literature searches, screening and extracting data, assessing study quality, and synthesizing evidence. The training fostered cross-institutional collaboration and strengthened participants’ capacity to produce rigorous evidence syntheses to inform research, policy, and practice.

Across four sessions, participants learned how to differentiate systematic reviews versus other reviews (eg. scoping review, narrative review, critical review, umbrella review), explored how to develop rigorous research questions using PICO/PECO framework, drafting a systematic review protocol, formulate search strategies, navigate major academic databases, and extract and synthesize evidence using qualitative and quantitative tools. Interactive group activities allowed participants to apply each day’s lessons to real-world research problems, with instructors providing one-on-one support to refine search strings, troubleshoot methodological challenges, and strengthen conceptual frameworks.

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