Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Grow your skills with Coursera Plus for $239/year (usually $399). Save now.

Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Instructors: Tianjing Li, MD, MHS, PHD

214,915 already enrolled

Included with

Learn more

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

3,585 reviews

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

3,585 reviews

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

7 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

There are 6 modules in this course

We will introduce methods to perform systematic reviews and meta-analysis of clinical trials. We will cover how to formulate an answerable research question, define inclusion and exclusion criteria, search for the evidence, extract data, assess the risk of bias in clinical trials, and perform a meta-analysis.

Upon successfully completing this course, participants will be able to: - Describe the steps in conducting a systematic review - Develop an answerable question using the “Participants Interventions Comparisons Outcomes” (PICO) framework - Describe the process used to collect and extract data from reports of clinical trials - Describe methods to critically assess the risk of bias of clinical trials - Describe and interpret the results of meta-analyses

To get the ball rolling, we'll take a broad overview of what to expect in this course and then introduce you to the high-level concepts of systematic review and meta-analysis and take a look at who produces and uses systematic reviews.

What's included

5 videos3 readings

5 videosTotal 40 minutes

Welcome to Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis 2 minutes
Lecture 1A : Introduction to Systematic Reviews15 minutes
Lecture 1B: Introduction to Meta-Analysis13 minutes
Lecture 1C: Producers and Users of Systematic Reviews8 minutes
Hannah Rothstein, PhD1 minute

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Syllabus10 minutes
Pre Course Survey10 minutes
From the Field Videos10 minutes

In this module, we will discuss how to frame a question, as well as scope, elements, and refining the question.

What's included

7 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review

7 videosTotal 73 minutes

Lecture 2A: Resources for How to Frame Your Question7 minutes
Lecture 2B: Deciding the Type and Scope of Your Question18 minutes
Lecture 2C: Elements of the Question17 minutes
Lecture 2D: Refining the Question11 minutes
Lecture 2E: Some Examples9 minutes
Lecture 2F: Analytic Frameworks10 minutes
Betsy Becker, PhD2 minutes

1 readingTotal 10 minutes

Welcome to the first Peer Assignment!10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module 230 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 120 minutes

Peer Assessment 1120 minutes

In this module we will look at finding the evidence, as well as key sources, search strategy, and assessing the risk of bias.

What's included

11 videos2 assignments

11 videosTotal 119 minutes

Searching Principles and Assessing Bias 3 minutes
Lecture 3A: Finding the Evidence: Searching Principles6 minutes
Lecture 3B: Identifying Key Sources and Techniques for Searching18 minutes
Lecture 3C: Building a High-Quality Search Strategy17 minutes
Lecture 3D: Documenting Your Search and Conclusions8 minutes
Lecture 4A: Why Bias in the Individual Study is Important to a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis7 minutes
Lecture 4B: Selection Bias19 minutes
Lecture 4C: Information Bias8 minutes
Lecture 4D: Bias in the Analysis15 minutes
Lecture 4E: Displaying Study "Quality" in Your Systematic Review16 minutes
Byron Wallace, Phd2 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Module 330 minutes
Module 430 minutes

In this module, we will cover minimizing metabias, selection bias, information bias, how to report transparently, qualitative synthesis, and interpreting results.

What's included

9 videos2 assignments

9 videosTotal 88 minutes

Lecture 5A: Standards for Systematic Reviews6 minutes
Lecture 5B: Selection Bias22 minutes
Lecture 5C: Information Bias13 minutes
Lecture 5D: Bias in the Analysis15 minutes
Lecture 5E: Reporting Transparently7 minutes
Lecture 6A: Qualitative Synthesis and Interpreting Results Section A7 minutes
Lecture 6B: What is Qualitative Synthesis10 minutes
Lecture 6C: Some Examples6 minutes
Christopher Schmid, PhD1 minute

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Module 530 minutes
Module 630 minutes

This module will cover the planning of your meat-analysis and the statistical methods for meta-analysis.

What's included

9 videos2 assignments

9 videosTotal 109 minutes

Planning Meta-Analysis and Statistical Methods 1 minute
Lecture 7A: Planning Your Meta-Analysis Section A8 minutes
Lecture 7B: Introduction to Meta-Analysis15 minutes
Lecture 7C: Why Do a Meta-Analysis?11 minutes
Lecture 7D: Types of Data and Effect Measures20 minutes
Lecture 8A: Fixed Effect Model21 minutes
Lecture 8B: Random Effects Model15 minutes
Lecture 8C: Random Effects Model17 minutes
Michael Borenstein, PhD2 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Module 730 minutes
Module 830 minutes

In this final module, we'll wrap up with a look back at the key concepts covered over the past few weeks. Afterwards, you will submit your final Peer Review Assignment and evaluate some of your classmates' submissions.

What's included

2 videos1 reading1 peer review

Instructors

Instructor ratings

(937 ratings)

Tianjing Li, MD, MHS, PHD

Johns Hopkins University

1 Course214,915 learners

Kay Dickersin, PhD

Johns Hopkins University

1 Course214,915 learners

Offered by

Johns Hopkins University

Explore more from Research

Status: Preview
Johns Hopkins University
Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials
Course
Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Pillar #3: Drug Effectiveness - Real-World Evidence
Course
Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Clinical Trials Management and Advanced Operations
Course
Status: Preview
Università di Napoli Federico II
Comparative Research Designs and Methods
Course

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

5 stars
79.66%
4 stars
17.88%
3 stars
1.89%
2 stars
0.33%
1 star
0.22%

Showing 3 of 3585

Reviewed on Sep 1, 2019

This course helps to learn basics about systematic review and meta-analysis. I recommend this course to the beginners, who wants to do systematic review in future. Thank you John Hopkins!

Reviewed on Feb 12, 2017

Incredible course! You learned a lot from these amazing professors. If you take this course you will know how to do a high quality systematic review and even a meta analysis and publish them.

Reviewed on Jan 25, 2020

Although it is very early to say. But I can confidently say: this is one of the best thing that has happen to me this year. I am now ready to begin systematic review and meta-analysis.

View more reviews

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Learn more

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Explore degrees

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Learn more

Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.