Systematic Reviews

The Tulane University Libraries Systematic Review Service is a program to support researchers in performing high quality systematic reviews. We advise and partner with research teams to conduct comprehensive searches of the literature to produce systematic reviews (SR) that are both transparent and reproducible.

We offer two levels of service: Basic and Full. Details about both are below. If you would like to contact us about getting started with a systematic review, please fill out our online form.

Basic service consists of the following (a basic service consultation takes about 90 minutes):

• Provide an overview of the systematic review process
• Inform researchers of systematic review standards (IOM, Prisma, Cochrane)
• Assist researchers with formulating the research question
• Suggest databases for searching
• Provide literature searching instruction, if needed
• Provide basic citation manager training, as needed
• Suggest screening software for blind-review

Full service includes the basic service plus the following (Note that full service requires an agreement. A librarian must be listed as a contributing author for this option. Full service also requires a minimum of five meetings (typically once monthly, but other frequencies may be arranged)):

• Design the main search strategy
• Translate the search across multiple databases
• Conduct the search in multiple databases
• Deliver citations to preferred citation management software (EndNote, etc.)
• Assist with importing citations into screening software (Covidence, etc.)
• Provide basic guidance on screening process
• Provide researchers with several documents to include in publication (partially completed PRISMA flowchart, citation data, and search strategies)
• Assist in writing Methods section for publication
• Instruct how to obtain full text of articles through ILL, if necessary
• Run update of searches prior to publication (as required by standards)

Eligibility for Services

The systematic review full service is available to all Tulane-affiliated faculty, residents, fellows, and post-docs, Students working with a TU-affiliated faculty member or resident with a previously published systematic review who are actively contributing to the project (not just providing oversight) may also participate.

Students needing help with systematic reviews can contact the systematic review librarian or their liaison librarians to learn about the process. Students engaging in a systematic review or scoping review as a class project or as part of their thesis or dissertation are only eligible for the basic service.

These services are provided at no cost to the research team. Time restrictions and librarian availability may impact response time. If we are operating with a wait list, you will be informed of your spot in the queue.

Evidence synthesis projects, including systematic reviews and meta-analysis, require a considerable amount of original thought, time, and expertise, and these are contributing factors towards co-authorship. Librarians who develop search strategies and/or write the search methodology section of the synthesis should be included as a co-author. Librarians who collaborate on search strategy development and/or citation management should be formally acknowledged in the final publication.

• Stone, G., Sisk, A., Brown, M., Corder, A., Tea, K., Zu, Y., Shaffer, J., Kashyap, R., Qadir, N., & Denson, J. L. (2023). Systematic review of the effect of metabolic syndrome on outcomes due to acute respiratory distress syndrome: a protocol. BMJ open, 13(11), e076036. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076036
• Singleton, C. R., Wright, L. A., McDonald, M., Archer, I. A., Bell, C. N., McLoughlin, G. M., Houghtaling, B., Cooksey Stowers, K., Anderson Steeves, E. (2023). Structural racism and geographic access to food retailers in the United States: A scoping review. Health & Place, 103089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103089
• McLester Davis, L.W.Y., Estrada, P., Hastings, W.J., Kataria, L.A., Martin, N.A., Siebeneicher, J.T., Tristiano, R.I., Mayne, C.V., Horlick, R.P., O'Connell, S.S., & Drury, S.S. (2023). A review and meta-analysis: Cross-tissue telomere length correlations in healthy humans. Ageing Research Reviews. 101942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2023.101942
• Marzotto, K. N., Choudhary, T., Wright, L. A., Howell, M. P., Kimball, T. R., Pigula, F. A., & Piggott, K. D. (2023). Nutritional markers accompanying acquired chylothorax in infants: a systematic review. Nutrition reviews, nuad005. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuad005
• Howell, M. P., Wiseman, C. A., Rosen, M. Z., Yeates, W. M., Wright, L. A., O'Connell, S. S., Bhunu, B., Intapad, S., Kimball T. R., Cheang, S., & Gajewski, K. K. (2022). Impact of prenatal opioids on cardiac and autonomic development: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Perinatology. Epub ahead of print.
• Yoshida, Y., Joshi, P., Barri, S., Wang, J., Corder, A., O'Connell, S., & Fonseca, V. (2022). Progression of retinopathy with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists with cardiovascular benefits in type 2 diabetes -- a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Diabetes and its Complications, 108255.
• Sullivan, B. N., Baggett, M. A., O'Connell, S. S., Pickett, K. M., & Steele, C. (2022). A systematic review to assess the relationship between disseminated cerebral aspergillosis, leukemias and lymphomas, and their respective therapeutics. Journal of Fungi-Fungal Pathogenesis and Disease Control, 8(7), 722.
• Solch, R. J., Aigbogun, J. O., Voyiadjis, A.G., Talkington, G. M., Darensbourg, R. V., O'Connell, S., Pickett, K. M., Perez, S. R., & Maraganore, D. M. (2022). Mediterranean diet adherence, gut microbiota, and Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease risk: A systematic review. Journal of Neurological Sciences, 434,120166.
• Sun, Y., Lamoreau, R., O’Connell, S., Horlick, R., & Bazzano, A. N. (2021). Yoga and mindfulness interventions for preschool-aged children in educational settings: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 6091.
• Pinheiro, P., Kendal, B., Kerr, L., Pickett, K., Luna, I., Costa, M., Luz, L. (2020). The South American context of diagnostic disclosure of adolescents infected by HIV/AIDS: A systematic literature review. Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira, 66(8), 1139-1145.
• Bazzano, A. N., Felker-Kantor, E., Eragoda, S., Kaji, A., & Horlick, R. (2019). Parent and family perspectives on home-based newborn care practices in lower-income countries: A systematic review of qualitative studies. BMJ Open, 9(4), e025471.