Who is eligible to use the HSLS Systematic Review Program?
- Pitt faculty with primary appointments within the Schools of the Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
- UPMC Residents and Fellows affiliated with the UPMC Office of Graduate Medical Education
A protocol is required
HSLS librarians will not begin work on any systematic review literature searches until a final protocol has been approved by HSLS. Protocols submitted to HSLS will undergo scientific review by senior HSLS librarians, who will provide feedback on the proposed topic and methods, and may require revisions to the protocol before a librarian is assigned to the project. The purpose of these reviews is to ensure that 1) the protocol meets current standards for the design and conduct of high-quality systematic reviews and other comprehensive review types and 2) the proposed topic and research objectives are feasible.
Timeframe for literature searches and project completion
Comprehensive literature searches typically require several months for completion. HSLS librarians collaborate on a limited number of reviews at any one time and may not be able to immediately begin work on your literature searches. If a librarian is not immediately available, your project will be placed on a waiting list and you will be given an estimated start date. Once the literature searches are completed, you and your team may need an additional nine to twelve months (or more) to complete the review.
Librarian authorship
A librarian who has completed literature searches for a systematic review has made a major scholarly contribution to that project and will be included as a co-author on any abstracts or manuscripts that arise from the project. As a co-author, the librarian will draft the literature search sections required for these documents, contribute to discussions about where to submit abstracts or manuscripts, and will be given the opportunity to review all abstracts or manuscripts prior to their submission for publication.
Please see the HSLS Systematic Review Libguide for additional information about systematic reviews.