Introduction to Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis
Date & time: 4 April 2025, 9.00 am–12.00 noon
Venue: FMS Boardroom
Audience: Academic staff and postgraduate students affiliated with the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Resource persons: Prof. Shamini Prathapan (Chair Professor, Dept. of Community Medicine) and Prof. Maheeka Seneviwickrama (Professor, Dept. of Community Medicine)
The Research Committee hosted a half-day, practice-oriented introduction to systematic reviews and meta-analysis attended by 50+ participants. The programme combined short lectures with live demonstrations and group activities. Key topics included: framing research questions using PICO, drafting a protocol and PROSPERO registration, developing reproducible database search strategies, blinded screening and study selection, data-extraction templates, risk-of-bias assessment, effect measures and model choice, assessing heterogeneity, forest plots, and PRISMA reporting.
Participants highlighted the clarity of the workflow and the practical tips on screening, bias assessment, and reporting. Preliminary feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees noting that the session inspired them to pursue higher methodological standards in ongoing theses and forthcoming publications. Workshop materials (slides and templates) were shared with registrants.
Outcome: Attendees left with draft protocol outlines, starter search strings, and a plan for screening and data extraction aligned to best-practice guidelines.
