Recap – Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Workshop Enhance Interdisciplinary Research Skills

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Published on February 29, 2024

Professor Godfred O. Boateng and Professor Reginald Quansah (from the University of Ghana) led a hybrid four day-workshop on systematic reviews and meta-analysis from Tuesday, February 20th to Friday, February 23rd. With participants joining from York University and the University of Western Ontario, the workshop covered ways to develop rigorous search strategies, query various databases for papers and conduct analyses for publication. They also explored the differences between meta-analysis and systematic reviews, and brainstormed ways to apply their skills to interdisciplinary research topics.

Following an introduction to systematic reviews and meta-analysis on Day 1, where participants were acquainted with the rationale and general logic behind conducting them, participants worked in groups between Days 2 and 3. Using case studies presented by Prof. Quansah, they were able to utilize skills learned each day to develop search strategies and generate papers on relevant databases. Prof. Quansah and Prof. Boateng provided one-on-one assistance to help troubleshoot vague search strings and revise proposed concepts. Participants came with a variety of research interests and questions, and were thus able to exchange vital knowledge on data collection and management. Insights on synthesizing qualitative and quantitative evidence in the health sciences were discussed across all three days. Workshop participants also engaged with emerging tools for making synthesis of evidence efficient across their research teams.   

Workshop participants provided the following testimonials:

“This course was very relevant as it thought me how to properly formulate an objective for the development of a search strategy. Revisions were done before new lessons start to refresh participants’ minds of what was done the previous day. I will recommend it to others. It was a very good course.”

“It was a very good introduction to Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses for newbies like me. I got a better appreciation for how much work is involved, and what some of the critical elements of a good review are.”

“I really enjoyed the course and the teaching style. I felt like it was engaging and encouraged students to participate and also work in groups to better learn the course material. This was a great way to be introduced to systematic reviews and meta-analysis and I would highly recommend it to others.”

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