Course syllabus for Synthesizing and Applying Evidence

Specific entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree or a professional degree equivalent to a Swedish Bachelor's degree of at least 180 credits. And proficiency in English equivalent to English B/English 6.

Outcomes

After the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Explain principles and key concepts related to evidence synthesis with focus on systematic and scoping reviews.
• Independently formulate review questions suitable for being answered with systematic or scoping reviews.

Competence and skills

• Critically assess the quality of published systematic and scoping reviews
• Design and conduct a systematic literature search.
• Communicate the results of evidence synthesis to different target audiences.

Judgment and approach

• Reflect on methods and techniques for synthesising information in scoping and systematic reviews.
• Discuss ethical considerations in evidence synthesis.

Content

In this elective course, students learn about the principles and methods for synthesising evidence in global health, with emphasis on systematic and scoping reviews, which are the most commonly used tools for this purpose. Students will explore key concepts and principles of different review methodologies and develop skills for planning and conducting an evidence synthesis, including designing and carrying out a systematic literature search, extracting data, and quality assessment. They will also draw on their knowledge of how research questions are constructed when learning how to frame questions suited to systematic or scoping reviews.

Students will be introduced to different methods for synthesising evidence generated from reviews, including meta-analysis and other forms of meta-synthesis, and reflect on how these methods contribute to decision-making in global health. In doing so, they will build on their learnings of qualitative and quantitative research methods, to see how meta-syntheses can be used to combine the results of multiple studies to form broader conclusions.

The course further examines how different types of reviews can be used to inform policy and decision-making in global health. Students will also get the chance to practice hands on communication of findings from evidence synthesis to different target audiences. Throughout the course, students will reflect on ethical aspects of evidence synthesis to ensure that their work upholds the high standards of rigour and accountability required in global health research.

Teaching methods

The teaching methods include lectures, seminars, group-based labs, discussion of review articles, and oral presentations.

Examination

The course is examined based on written (graded fail, pass or pass with distinction) and oral examinations (graded fail or pass). For pass with distinction on the course, students need to pass all examinations and obtain pass with distinction on the written examination.

Compulsory participation
Participation in seminars, practical exercises, and group work is compulsory.

The examiner assesses if, and in that case how, absence from compulsory educational elements can be compensated for. Before the student has participated in the compulsory educational elements or compensated the absence in accordance with the examiner's instructions, the final course results will not be reported. Absence from a compulsory educational component may imply that the student cannot compensate for the missed compulsory educational element until the next time the course is given.

Limitation of number of occasions to write the exam
Students who have not passed the regular examination are entitled to participate in five more examinations. If the student has not passed the exam after four participations, he/she is encouraged to visit the study advisor. If the student has failed six examinations/tests, no additional examination or new admission is provided. The number of times that the student has participated in one and the same examination is regarded as an examination session. Submission of a blank examination is also regarded as an examination. An examination for which the student registered but did not participate in will not be counted as an examination.

If there are special grounds, or a need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to deviate from the syllabus's regulations on the examination form, the number of examination opportunities, the possibility of supplementation or exemptions from the compulsory section/s of the course etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities may not be changed, removed or reduced.

Transitional provisions

Examination will be provided during a time of two years after a possible cancellation of the course. Examination can take place according to an earlier literature list during a time of one year after the date when a major renewal of the literature list has been made.

Other directives

The course language is English.

Course evaluation is carried out according to the guidelines that are established by the Committee for Higher Education.

Literature and other teaching aids

Mandatory and recommended literature and readings will be available on the learning management system during the course