Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis

3 units

A systematic review attempts to identify, appraise and synthesize all of the empirical evidence that meets prespecified eligibility criteria to answer a given research question. A meta-analysis refers to the statistical methods used for contrasting and combining results from different studies in the hope of identifying patterns, sources of disagreement, and/or other interesting relationships that may come to light in the context of multiple studies. There are three learning objectives for this course: (1) to deepen the student's understanding of the key concepts and essential methods of a systematic review and meta-analysis through lectures and reading assignments; (2) to help students master the basic skills needed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis through hands-on exercises and projects; and (3) to help students complete a publication-quality systematic review or meta-analysis of their own choice as the final project of this course. Prerequisite for MPH students: S55-5240; permission from instructor for PhD students.