Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The aim of this module is to provide all students with a basic grounding in systematic review and critical appraisal methods so that they can plan and undertake their own systematic review and critically appraise systematic review findings. Combining lectures, workshops and self-directed learning this module seeks to provide the first-time systematic reviewer with a sound grounding in the principles of systematic reviewing, including framing the question, identifying and critically appraising relevant studies, synthesising results, and interpreting and disseminating conclusions.

Outline Of Syllabus

The introduction to systematic reviewing and critical appraisal will cover the following topics:

• An introduction to systematic reviewing, its approaches and epistemology;
• How to design a research question
• Data management
• Developing a search strategy
•       Screening
•       Data extraction
•       Critical appraisal
•       Quantitative review synthesis methods – including introduction to meta-analysis
•       Qualitative synthesis methods
•       Rating the certainty of evidence in systematic reviews and other evidence syntheses
•       Critical appraisal of systematic review findings

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

At the end of the module students should be able to:

• Exhibit an understanding of the basic approaches and epistemological underpinnings of systematic reviewing
• Describe the process of systematic reviewing and the rationale for the steps taken
• Demonstrate an understanding of critical appraisal of primary studies included within systematic reviews
• Determine the appropriate application of either qualitative or quantitative review methods relative to the research question being addressed
• Recognise the different types of bias that may affect systematic reviews and understand how to minimise them

Intended Skill Outcomes

At the end of the module students should be able to:

•       Apply the knowledge learned to provide a thorough and robust critical appraisal of a published systematic review
•       Understand how to select and apply appropriate tools and methods in the planning and undertaking of a systematic review
•       Understand how to search for records appropriate to a research question
•       Undertake study selection based on a set of eligibility criteria
•       Undertake purposeful data extraction
•       Understand the application of appropriate tools and methods to identify relevant studies and extract data for synthesis
•       Conduct critical appraisal of primary studies
•       Select and apply appropriate synthesis methods according to the research question and relevant studies identified

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

This module aims to provide students with the confidence and skills to undertake their own systematic review and critical appraisal of included studies. It teaches not only rigorous, trustworthy methods for conducting a systematic review but what deviation from these means for systematic review findings giving students the skills needed to critically appraise a systematic review.

In order to ensure that all students are at a similar level of comprehension students will be asked to read and prepare prior to the learning and teaching activities.

The scheduled and structured learning is designed to introduce systematic reviewing and critical appraisal and will equip students with the skills to carry out a systematic review. There will be a mixture of small group teaching, guided learning and workshops during which students will be encouraged to interact with one another and develop their skills in the different elements of conducting a systematic review.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Students will write a 2000 word critical appraisal of a systematic review selected by the module leader.

This assessment will enable us to assess student’s skills and knowledge of systematic review methodology and its application. Students will be expected to critique the inclusion criteria, search strategy, synthesis, conduct of the review and reporting. A discussion on bias will be expected. Appropriate critical appraisal tools can be used to guide the critique.

General Notes

N/A