Sandra McKeown (MLIS), Health Sciences Librarian, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
An interprofessional team led by a health sciences librarian from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, have developed a module series titled: The Essentials of Conducting Systematic Reviews. This open educational resource (OER) consists of eight self-paced modules covering all stages of the systematic review process:
- Introduction to Systematic Reviews
- Formulating Review Questions and Protocols
- Searching for Eligible Studies
- Selecting Studies
- Extracting Data
- Assessing Risk of Bias
- Synthesizing and Disseminating Findings
- Using Review Tools, Automation and AI
Purpose
This project sought to create a scalable educational resource to help libraries meet the growing demand for systematic review support and to address gaps in support available to researchers. The modules were designed to improve researchers’ understanding of systematic review methodology and promote the production of higher-quality systematic reviews.
While the primary target audience for this OER is health sciences students, faculty, and staff, the concepts and principles presented in the series are broadly applicable to learners across disciplines. In addition, much of the content is applicable to other types of evidence syntheses, including scoping reviews, rapid reviews, and umbrella reviews.
Design
Each module contains three to five lessons with clearly stated learning objectives and incorporates interactivity and knowledge checks throughout. To promote continuity and facilitate application of concepts, the modules follow the sample quantitative systematic review question throughout: In adults with a previous history of ischemic stroke (P), how does use of statin therapy (I) compare to no use of statin therapy (C) in terms of ischemic stroke recurrence (O), as measured by randomized controlled trials and cohort studies (S)?
This OER is hosted by the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University, with links to individual modules available from the Queen’s University Library website <https://guides.library.queensu.ca/knowledge-syntheses/training_modules>.
At the end of every module there is the option to complete an anonymous feedback survey that generates a certificate of completion, providing librarians and instructors with a practical method for confirming module completion when assigning the content as prerequisite learning.
Each module is accredited for one hour of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Physicians and health practitioners in other jurisdictions may also be able to claim continuing education credit in accordance with their local professional requirements.
Open Access License
The module series is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) licence, allowing users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material for non-commercial purposes provided appropriate attribution is given. Rather than encouraging simple redistribution, the project promotes adaptation so that libraries and educational institutions can tailor the content to their own learners without recreating introductory systematic review training from scratch.
To further facilitate reuse, the modules were intentionally written to minimize institution-specific content. Queen’s branding is largely limited to the feedback survey and certificate of completion, while examples of bibliographic databases and review software are presented broadly to maximize applicability across institutions. Accessibility and universal design principles—including descriptive hyperlinks, alternative text for images, and appropriate colour contrast—were incorporated throughout. The website also provides clear attribution guidance and is making editable source files and graphics available to simplify adaptation by other organizations. Collaboration with Laval University in Quebec, Canada has led to the development of a French-language translation of the module series (in progress) to improve accessibility.
Contact:
If you would like to learn more, or have questions about the modules, please contact: sandra.mckeown@queensu.ca
Health Libraries Group 