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The overall aim of our training is to provide the skills and capacity to conduct systematic reviews (SR) in the environmental sector, where the variability in datasets, methodologies, confounding variables and biases pose new challenges to review teams (teams conducting SRs). By helping to spread understanding and knowledge of the SR methodology more widely, our courses aim to increase the number and quality of systematic review outputs in environmental management. This will lead to better information available to both practitioners and policy makers and therefore to more effective conservation measures being implemented.
Two options for SR training are available: training workshops and a mentoring programme.
Training workshops
The training workshops introduce the concept and the methodological principles that underpin systematic review. The workshops will thus develop the skills and capacity required to expand evidence-based practice in the environmental sector.
Participants should leave with the confidence that, in spite of the apparent complexity of the process, they can indeed run a systematic review themselves. Completion of this course will be a significant asset in the professional skills base of any person working in the field of environmental management and related disciplines.
Training contents
- Beginner
- Introduction to systematic review in environmental management (1-day workshop)
is a one-day event aimed at a wide audience, ranging from review commissioners, stakeholders, potential authors to anyone interested in finding out more about the methodology, purpose and uses of SR in environmental management. This workshop aims to provide an understanding of the main steps required to conduct a good-quality SR, from the importance of question formulation to the various possible outputs (maps, narrative, quantitative), and how the Collaboration provides altogether support and quality-control all along the process.
- Intermediate
Those workshops are composed of various modules which can constitute a multi-day package or can be delivered upon request, one at a time eventually (for instance, when accompagnying review teams during the conduct of their SR).
- Module 1- The CEE process, question setting and protocol
This module introduces the historical context and the rationale behind SR. It will address the question of ‘when is a SR appropriate?’ and will provide an overview of the stages in the SR process. Participants will understand the importance of setting an appropriate question and will engage in an exercise in question formulation. The range of question types that can be addressed using SR will be explored. The roles of the SR protocol and scoping study will be covered in this module. The role of the CEE in providing quality assurance, support and in the process of submissions to the Environmental Evidence library will be explained. The potential for publication of the outcomes of SRs in peer-reviewed journals will be discussed and the use of policy briefs to communicate the outcomes of SRs to policymakers will be demonstrated.
- Module 2 - Searching and inclusion criteria
This module will demonstrate to participants the importance of prior planning and scoping in the construction of an efficient search strategy. The use of PICO terms, Boolean operators and the need to consider the different searching algorithms of search operators will be discussed. Participants will become familiar with the design of appropriate inclusion criteria and the factors to consider when selecting inclusion criteria (transparency, repeatability, reviewer bias etc.). Throughout this module examples and exercises will be used to demonstrate the principles covered.
- Module 3 - Critical appraisal
The module covers the importance of critical appraisal within a systematic review and how to conduct critical appraisal within a systematic review. Everyone assesses how much they ‘believe’ the results of a study when they read a paper/report but this module illustrates how to formalise this assessment and how to make it transparent and repeatable. Including what are the main sources to bias to consider, internal and external validity, study design and reporting quality. Options of how to deal with studies of differing quality will also be explored.
- Module 4 - Data handling and evidence synthesis + consolidation
The module covers how to extract data from individual studies, the options for synthesis of the studies and how to carry out those syntheses. How to extract data includes; what decisions need to be made when extracting complex ecological data, how to calculate an effect size from quantitative data, understanding differences in the variance between studies. The overview of options for evidence synthesis includes; what is a systematic evidence map and when to include one, what is narrative synthesis and quantitative synthesis and when should each be conducted. The how to carry out synthesis includes an overview of the application of meta-analysis techniques. .
- Advanced
Several modules are currently developed in collaboration with the specialists of the CEE Methods Groups, and cover specialised topics such as meta-analysis, systematic mapping, search strategies...
These advanced workshops must be planned well in advance to make sure the specialists are available. Please contact us for more information.
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Who runs the CEE workshops?
- Beginners
This module is delivered by CEE volunteer staff or by staff from the Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation (CEBC, Bangor University, UK).
- Intermediate
The different modules are delivered by CEBC staff.
- Advanced
The Collaboration asks specialists from the Methods Group to deliver these workshops so that the audience can benefit from the latest advancements in their respective topics.
We are starting to develop an accreditation system (or endorsment process) for workshops that willl be delivered by our collaborators in various countries. Please contact us if you are interested (click here)
Who can attend the workshops?
The audience is primarily composed of SR authors (environmental consultants, advisors, project managers and academic scientists), but the course is also useful for those who are likely to use SRs e.g. potential funders, commissioners and policy advisors.
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Host a workshop
The venues for the training are organised together with a venue provider subject to availability and costs. A main objective of the programme delivery is to provide opportunities for potential participants that are geographically spread.
Courses are run both within the UK and internationally, and it is of primary concern to ensure that venues are selected to suit the majority of participants.
We welcome expressions of interest for courses at various locations, and courses can also be arranged on demand.
If you can provide a venue to host a workshop, you can get free workshop admission places for some members of your team. Express your interest
Costs
We can only give you an estimate for workshops run in UK, which cost on average 150 GBP per participant. Yet this is an average as it depends on the travel and subsistence of the trainer(s), cost of the venue and catering, and the level of skill of the trainer (specialised module requiring an expert). Remember that hosting a workshop in a free venue gives you some free seats as a way to thank you for your support. Contact us to get an estimate tailored to your conditions. click here
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