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Last modified: 01 May 2026 11:16
Students will be introduced to key concepts and methods for conducting systematic reviews of healthcare interventions. They will progress through each stage of the review process step by step, completing interactive and practical sessions designed to build the skills needed to conduct a systematic review of randomised controlled trials, including combining results of primary studies in a meta-analysis. In addition, students will be introduced to the knowledge-to-action framework, which introduces the steps required to ensure that review findings effectively inform and influence practice. The course is accessible to students from a wide range of disciplines; no clinical or policy-related background is required.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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This course equips students with the relevant skills to conduct and interpret systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effectiveness of healthcare interventions. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Develop a research question for a systematic review evaluating the comparative effects of healthcare interventions
• Apply methods for identifying, selecting, and extracting data from relevant primary studies.
• Assess the risk of bias in the identified primary studies.
• Understand statistical methods for combining quantitative data and undertake a meta-analysis of identified primary studies
• Interpret results and consider the implications of systematic review findings for practice and policy (including understanding the knowledge-to-action framework).
Topics taught in the course cover:
• How to develop a research question
• How to identify studies in the literature
• Extraction of data from primary studies
• Integrity of primary studies
• Risk of bias assessment of primary studies
• How to combine data from primary studies (meta-analysis)
• Interpretation of results of systematic reviews
• Considerations for the implementation of systematic reviews into practice
• Reporting standards for systematic reviews
Teaching pattern:
The teaching format will involve a combination of taught lectures and practical sessions, discussion boards, self-study material, and assignments. The course will be delivered using a hybrid model. Students who are registered for in-person teaching will be expected to attend classes in person. Online students can attend synchronous or asynchronous sessions.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 70 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 39 | Feedback Weeks | 42 | |
| Feedback |
The essay-based assessment will require students to demonstrate their ability to apply key components of the systematic review process. The word limit for this assessment will be 1000 words. In addition, students are expected to present two results tables detailing the results of their critical appraisal and data extraction, and one figure showing their Forest plot. |
Word Count | 1000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Interpret results and consider the implications of systematic review findings for practice and policy (including understanding the knowledge-to-action framework). |
| Factual | Apply | Apply methods for identifying, selecting, and extracting data from relevant primary studies. |
| Factual | Understand | Understand statistical methods for combining quantitative data and undertake a meta-analysis of identified primary studies. |
| Procedural | Apply | Assess the risk of bias in the identified primary studies. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 30 | Feedback Weeks | 33 | |
| Feedback |
A written piece of coursework that requires students to demonstrate core skills involved in the early stages of the systematic review process. The word limit for this assessment will be 1000 words. Specifically, students will be asked to: |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Create | Develop a research question for a systematic review evaluating the comparative effects of healthcare interventions. |
| Factual | Apply | Apply methods for identifying, selecting, and extracting data from relevant primary studies. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Apply | Assess the risk of bias in the identified primary studies. |
| Factual | Apply | Apply methods for identifying, selecting, and extracting data from relevant primary studies. |
| Conceptual | Create | Develop a research question for a systematic review evaluating the comparative effects of healthcare interventions. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Interpret results and consider the implications of systematic review findings for practice and policy (including understanding the knowledge-to-action framework). |
| Factual | Understand | Understand statistical methods for combining quantitative data and undertake a meta-analysis of identified primary studies. |
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