Evidence syntheses are rigorous literature reviews that apply transparent and reproducible methods to provide a synthesis of the best available research to answer specific questions. According to The Royal Society, the process of bringing together information from a range of sources and disciplines informs debates and decisions on particular issues. Evidence syntheses often inform practice, policy and guideline development, and aid decision-making in a wide array of disciplines. They can also be used to identify new areas of research focus.

This guide will serve to help researchers connect with librarians to support their evidence synthesis projects, and will provide information on types of evidence synthesis, steps, and protocols.

** If you are affiliated with Yale School of Medicine, the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library has its own Evidence Synthesis guide and services.

Meet with a Librarian: The first step to working with a librarian on an evidence synthesis project is to Request a Consultation.

Learn more about evidence synthesis:

• Types of Evidence Synthesis
• The Systematic Review Proces
• Tools, Guidelines, and Protocols

How Librarians Can Help

As Consultants: Librarian roles in support of evidence synthesis projects can vary, depending on researcher and librarian needs. As consultants on evidence synthesis projects, we can:

• Provide information and resources on the review process

• Recommend tools such as databases, protocol registration platforms, and citation management software

• Offer guidance on your search terms and strategy

As Co-Authors: In certain circumstances, the researchers and librarians may mutually decide that the librarians will offer more support and accept a role as a co-author, which could (in addition to the work detailed above) involve:

• Developing and running the searches and adapting the searches for different databases

• De-duplicating the searches and uploading them to Covidence (offering guidance on Covidence and other tools as needed)

• Writing the search methods section of the review manuscript

Request a Consultation Here

Note: Evidence Synthesis searches are time-intensive, and depending on the current workload, librarian responses might be delayed. 

If you are interested in requesting a workshop on literature searching, Covidence, or related topics, please reach out to marx.reference@yale.edu