Strategies for Systematic, Scoping, or Other Comprehensive Searches of Literature – Part I

Session Description

Part 1: Structured Approach to Searching the Medical Literature for Knowledge Syntheses

Audience: University of Toronto graduate students and faculty engaged in health science research.

Date: Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm (+ mandatory pre-work module, approximately 60 minutes)

Location: Online via Zoom (meeting link will be provided in registration confirmation email)

By the end of this 3-part workshop series, participants will:

1. Identify databases for their review and explain when to use them
2. Practice using an objective, structured method for developing sensitive search strategies required for knowledge synthesis
3. Apply a structured approach to searching their question in OVID Medline

By the end of Part 1 of this workshop series, participants will:

1. Understand the importance of methodical searching in a knowledge synthesis review
2. Articulate how the quality of a search affects the quality of a review as a whole
3. Identify potential sources of bias in a search and implement strategies for mitigating them
4. Practice using an objective, structured method for developing sensitive search strategies required for knowledge synthesis

**Pre-Work Module**

Please complete the mandatory pre-work module “Planning Your Knowledge Synthesis Review” before attending class: https://tinyurl.com/planningareview

*Please note the module is the same for all three live sessions in the course. You only need to complete the module once if you are attending multiple sessions

Instructors:

Mikaela Mitchell MI – Liaison & Education Librarian, Gerstein Science Information Centre

Kaitlyn Merriman MI – Faculty Liaison & Instruction Librarian, Gerstein Science Information Centre