Course Overview

Evidence synthesis—including systematic reviews and meta-analysis—plays a central role in modern biomedical research and evidence-based medicine. This course provides a structured introduction to the theory and practice of evidence synthesis, guiding learners from foundational concepts to the critical methodological steps required to conduct high-quality systematic reviews.

Participants will learn how evidence synthesis helps researchers “see the forest from the trees,” integrating findings across studies to produce more precise and reliable conclusions. The course introduces major forms of evidence synthesis—including narrative reviews, scoping reviews, umbrella reviews, systematic reviews, rapid reviews, individual participant data meta-analyses, and network meta-analyses—and explores their relative strengths and limitations.

Learners will also gain practical insight into the essential methodological components of rigorous systematic reviews, including protocol registration, comprehensive search strategies, risk-of-bias assessment, meta-analytic interpretation, and grading the certainty of evidence.

Key Topics Covered

This course introduces core competencies required to conduct and critically evaluate evidence-synthesis research, including:

• The role of evidence synthesis in improving precision and understanding heterogeneity in biomedical research
• Major types of evidence synthesis and when to use them
• The methodological foundations of high-quality systematic reviews
• The “critical domains” required for rigorous reviews (e.g., protocol registration, search quality, risk-of-bias assessment)
• Developing comprehensive search strategies across databases and grey literature
• Understanding MeSH and controlled vocabulary for literature searches
• Independent screening and data extraction methods
• Risk-of-bias assessment using tools such as the Cochrane Risk of Bias tools and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale
• Interpreting forest plots, effect sizes, and heterogeneity metrics (including the I² statistic)
• Applying the GRADE framework to evaluate certainty of evidence
• Detecting and interpreting publication bias

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the importance of evidence synthesis in biomedical research
• Differentiate major forms of evidence-synthesis studies and their methodological implications
• Identify the essential components of high-quality systematic reviews
• Construct structured literature search strategies and understand controlled vocabulary systems such as MeSH
• Assess risk of bias in primary studies and interpret meta-analytic results
• Apply the GRADE framework to evaluate the certainty of evidence

Who Should Enroll

This course is designed for:

• Clinicians interested in evidence-based practice
• Health researchers and trainees
• Graduate students in biomedical and health sciences
• Clinician-scientists and faculty conducting or interpreting systematic reviews
• Professionals seeking training in evidence synthesis methodology

NUNM is accredited by the North American Naturopathic Continuing Education Council (NANCEAC). CE credits for this course are pending review.