Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis: A Practical Workshop for Research and Publication

Aim

Workshop Objectives

Workshop Structure

📅 Day 1: Planning the Review and Search Strategy

Focus

Understanding the fundamentals of systematic reviews, review question development, eligibility criteria, and structured search planning.

Topics Covered

• Systematic review vs narrative review vs scoping review vs meta-analysis
• Formulating review questions using PICO, PECO, SPIDER, and PCC
• Defining inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Selecting databases for literature search
• Creating Boolean search strings and documenting search strategy
• Reference management and duplicate removal using Zotero

Tools / Practical Platforms

• Zotero
• PICO / PECO / SPIDER / PCC frameworks
• PRISMA-style workflow

Hands-on Session

• Review Question Development: Participants will create a structured review question using PICO, PECO, SPIDER, or PCC.
• Eligibility Criteria Preparation: Participants will define inclusion and exclusion criteria for their review topic.
• Search Strategy and Reference Organization: Participants will build a Boolean search strategy and organize references in Zotero.

📅 Day 2: Screening, Data Extraction, and Quality Appraisal

Focus

Learning how to screen studies, track decisions, extract data, and assess study quality using structured review methods.

Topics Covered

• Title, abstract, and full-text screening process
• Inclusion and exclusion decision tracking
• PRISMA-style flow diagram preparation
• Designing a data extraction table
• Extracting study characteristics and outcomes
• Risk of bias and quality appraisal basics

Tools / Practical Platforms

• Rayyan
• CASP Checklists
• JBI Checklists
• RoB 2 / ROBINS-I Guidance

Hands-on Session

• Study Screening: Participants will screen sample studies using inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• PRISMA Flow Summary: Participants will prepare a PRISMA-style study selection summary.
• Extraction and Appraisal Matrix: Participants will create a data extraction and quality appraisal matrix.

📅 Day 3: Evidence Synthesis and Meta-Analysis Basics

Focus

Understanding evidence synthesis methods, basic meta-analysis concepts, and interpretation of forest plots and pooled results.

Topics Covered

• Narrative synthesis vs quantitative synthesis
• Effect sizes and outcome measures
• Fixed-effect and random-effects models
• Heterogeneity and I² interpretation
• Forest plots and funnel plots
• PRISMA-style reporting and publication preparation

Tools / Practical Platforms

• Forest plot interpretation tools
• Evidence synthesis summary template
• PRISMA-style reporting checklist

Hands-on Session

• Forest Plot Interpretation: Participants will generate or interpret a basic forest plot.
• Evidence Synthesis Summary: Participants will prepare a concise evidence synthesis summary.
• Publication-Ready Reporting: Participants will organize key findings for PRISMA-style research reporting.

Important Dates

Workshop Outcomes

Meet Your Mentor(s)

Dr. Sumit Sheoran

Assistant officer/Research Scholar

Lovely Professional University

Dr. Sumit Sheoran is an assistant officer and research scholar in the department of biochemistry at the university of lovely professional university, Jalandhar. He received his Ph.D. Degree in Biochemistry from Lovely Professional University in 2024. He has 2 Years of experience in the field of . . . biochemistry. His area of expertise includes drug discovery, nano-formulations, cell line analysis, and wet lab techniques of biochemistry, microbiology, and molecular biology. He is the author of various reviews as well research papers in reputed high-impact factor journals, recipient of any grants, awards, etc.