Protocol Requirement
To best inform potential collaborations, all teams submitting an Evidence Synthesis Project Information Form must include a protocol (draft or final).
There are templates and additional resources to help in developing your protocol on the Protocols page of this guide, though use of the templates is not required. Please do not fill out the sections related to the databases searched and the planned search strategies; if you work with a Search Expert, they will be responsible for those sections of the protocol.
Project Information Form
To connect with a search expert from the Taubman Health Sciences Library about your project, complete the Evidence Synthesis Project Information Form.
If you are unable to access the form, please contact THSL-EvSynth-Core@umich.edu for the Word document version.
We receive a high volume of requests for consultation on evidence synthesis projects; after you submit the form your Informationist or a member of the Evidence Synthesis Core Team will be in contact with you to discuss your project.
Considerations for Working with a Search Expert
Depending on your needs and the Informationist's availability, Informationist involvement can range from basic search advice to a full collaboration with your systematic review team.
Complete the Evidence Synthesis Project Information form and draft your protocol well in advance of when you would like to start working with results. This lead time is important because new requests are balanced with our prior commitments (instruction, other evidence syntheses, etc.) and developing comprehensive search strategies can take several weeks to a month.
If the Informationists at the Taubman Health Sciences Library are unable to meet your time frame, consider hiring a search expert from the Association of Independent Information Professionals.
Recommended Readings
For more detailed information about evidence synthesis methods, see the Methods & How-to page.
Prior to your first meeting with a search expert, all team members should be familiar with these documents:
For more detailed information about evidence synthesis methods, see the Methods & How-to page.
Prior to your first meeting with a search expert, all team members should be familiar with these documents:
- PRISMA Scoping Review Checklist
- JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis - Scoping Reviews (Chapter 10 Section 2)
For more detailed information about evidence synthesis methods, see the Methods & How-to page.
Prior to your first meeting with a search expert, all team members should be familiar with these documents:
For more detailed information about evidence synthesis methods, see the Methods & How-to page.
If you plan to conduct another type of structured review, all team members should be familiar with these documents prior to meeting with a search expert:
For more detailed information about evidence synthesis methods, see the Methods & How-to page.
If you are unsure what type of review to conduct, all team members should be familiar with these documents prior to meeting with a search expert:
Authorship and Recognition
Follow the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' (ICMJE) authorship criteria to appropriately credit review team members for their work.
Examples of search expert's work that meet the ICMJE authorship criteria:
- Contributions to design of the work via search strategy development
- Drafting the search methods for the manuscript
Examples of search expert's work that should be acknowledged:
- Search advice
- Search feedback
Appropriate recognition of our contributions is important to informationists at the Taubman Health Sciences Library. A memorandum of understanding can help document roles and expectations for recognition.
Team Requirement
Most evidence synthesis methodologies require a team. If you have not formed a team yet, consider reaching out to:
- Colleagues from your professional network
- U-M researchers that publish on your topic, whom you can identify by searching Michigan Research Experts
Teams seeking a search expert must have one or more members currently affiliated with the University of Michigan.