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Systematic reviews: Librarian co-authorship

Notice - temporary pause on services

Please note that this service will be temporarily unavailable between 10 June and 16 August 2023 due to staff leave. New applications for co-authorship will be considered in order of receipt from mid August 2023.

Co-authorship of systematic reviews

SVHM staff planning to publish a systematic review can apply for a research librarian to co-author.

Please note that due to staffing limitations and the significant time commitment (approx 30 hours) required for a systematic review we are not able to accept all requests, and we cannot promise a quick turnaround.

In order to be considered, review teams need to:

  • include at least two authors committed to spending significant time on screening records (not just a supervisory role)
  • demonstrate a serious commitment to publish following the PRISMA guidelines.
  • undertake to register a protocol with PROSPERO or equivalent - this can be after applying for librarian co-authorship, but must be before screening begins.

Please note that we are unable to design search strategies or co-author in situations where staff are expected to do that themselves for study purposes. In those situations we can offer tutorials in literature searching, recording search methodology and Endnote. We can also offer access to Covidence systematic review software and tips on how to use it.

Staff planning a systematic review as part of a PhD need to keep in mind:

  • librarian co-authorship needs to be explicitly approved by any supervisor and university before applying 
  • the professional time commitment for a librarian throughout this process is very significant - about 30 hours on average - and this needs to be realistically factored into any contribution percentage. 

The librarian's role as co-author in a systematic review includes:

  • initial consultation with the review team around the subject matter and the librarian's expected role in the paper
  • brief scoping searches to identify relevant key terms, subject headings, textwords and phrases
  • identification of search terms through text mining programs such as Yale MeSH Analyser & Pubmed PubReMiner (where appropriate)
  • consultation with topic experts to confirm definitions and search parameters
  • development and refinement of initial search strategy for Ovid Medline
  • confirmation of Medline search strategy with topic experts
  • translation of Medline search strategy to other relevant databases such as Emcare, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase and the Cochrane Library
  • running searches in appropriate databases
  • recording databases searched, detailed search strategies, date of last search and number of results
  • export of search results to Endnote
  • removal of duplicate citations in Endnote
  • provision of deduped citations in a compressed Endnote library
  • initial draft of PRISMA flowchart including search results
  • access to Covidence systematic review software
  • advice on using Covidence
  • uploading results to Covidence
  • answering queries re search methodology
  • teaching team members/research assistants how to source full text articles for full text review stage (please note that sourcing full text articles is not part of this role, but library staff can teach you how to do this yourself)
  • updating searches on request
  • writing search methodology for publication
  • proofreading drafts and providing feedback
  • response to reviewers as appropriate
  • other relevant consultations with the research team in accordance with the librarian's expertise

Application form (SVHM staff only)

Systematic reviews co-authored by library staff

  1. Mikocka-Walus, A., Evans, S., Linardon, J., Wilding, H., & Knowles, S. R. (2022). Psychotherapy appears to improve symptoms of functional dyspepsia and anxiety: systematic review with meta-analysis. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 28:5, 1309-1335, 
  2. Yang, L. S., Perry, E., Shan, L., Wilding, H., Connell, W., Thompson, A. J., . . . Holt, B. A. (2022). Clinical application and diagnostic accuracy of artificial intelligence in colonoscopy for inflammatory bowel disease: systematic review. Endosc Int Open, 10(07), E1004-E1013. 
  3. Chong, T. W. H., Kootar, S., Wilding, H., Berriman, S., Curran, E., Cox, K. L., . . . Lautenschlager, N. T. (2022). Exercise interventions to reduce anxiety in mid-life and late-life anxiety disorders and subthreshold anxiety disorder: a systematic review. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 12, 
  4. Marco, D. J.-T., Thomas, K., Ivynian, S., Wilding, H., Parker, D., Tieman, J., & Hudson, P. (2022). Family carer needs in advanced disease: systematic review of reviews. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
  5. Schulberg, J. D., Wright, E. K., Holt, B. A., Wilding, H. E., Hamilton, A. L., Ross, A. L., & Kamm, M. A. (2021). Efficacy of drug and endoscopic treatment of Crohn's disease strictures: A systematic review. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 36(2), 344-361. 
  6. Sankaranarayanan, A., Johnson, K., Mammen, S.J., Wilding, H. E., Vasani, D., Murali, V., Mitchison, D., Castle, D. J., Hay, P. (2021) Disordered Eating among People with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 13(11), 3820. 
  7. Möller, S. P., Hayes, B., Wilding, H., Apputhurai, P., Tye-Din, J. A., & Knowles, S. R. (2021). Systematic review: Exploration of the impact of psychosocial factors on quality of life in adults living with coeliac disease. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 147, 110537. 
  8. Leigh Edward, K., Stanley, B., Collins, L., Norman, A., Bonomo, Y., Jackson, A., Wilding, H., Stephenson, J. (2021). Systematic review with meta-analysis of opioid use at 3, 6 and 12 months post-operatively by opioid naïve orthopaedic surgery patients. Journal of Opioid Management, 17(6). 
  9. Jenkins, Z. M., Eikelis, N., Phillipou, A., Castle, D. J., Wilding, H. E., & Lambert, E. A. (2021). Autonomic Nervous System Function in Anorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15(705). 
  10. Glynn, H., Möller, S. P., Wilding, H., Apputhurai, P., Moore, G., & Knowles, S. R. (2021). Prevalence and Impact of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Gastrointestinal Conditions: A Systematic Review. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. 
  11. Bunzli, S., Choong, E., Shadbolt, C., Wall, L., Nelson, E., Schilling, C., Wilding, H., Lohmander, S., Balogh, Z., Paolucci, F., Clarke, P., Choong, P., Dowsey, M. (2021). Placebo Surgery Controlled Trials: Do They Achieve What They Set Out to do? A Systematic ReviewAnnals of surgery, 273(6), 1102-1107.
  12. Hayes, B., Moller, S., Wilding, H., Burgell, R., Apputhurai, P., & Knowles, S. R. (2020). Application of the common sense model in inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 139, 110283. 
  13. Moore, G., Wilding, H., Gray, K., & Castle, D. (2019). Participatory Methods to Engage Health Service Users in the Development of Electronic Health Resources: Systematic Review. J Participat Med, 11(1), e11474.
  14. Hanratty, D., Kilicaslan, J., Wilding, H., & Castle, D. (2019). A systematic review of efficacy of Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) in managing suicide risk and deliberate self-harm in adult populations. Australasian Psychiatry, 
  15. Sankaranarayanan, A., Wilding, H., Neill, E., & Castle, D. (2018). A Critical Systematic Review of Evidence for Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Schizophrenia. Psychiatric Annals, 48(5), 214-223.
  16. Knowles, S. R., Graff, L. A., Wilding, H., Hewitt, C., Keefer, L., & Mikocka-Walus, A. (2018). Quality of Life in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses—Part I. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 24(4), 742-751. 
  17. Knowles, S. R., Keefer, L., Wilding, H., Hewitt, C., Graff, L. A., & Mikocka-Walus, A. (2018). Quality of Life in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses—Part II. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 24(5), 966-976. 
  18. Doyle, E., Simmance, N., Wilding, H., & Porter, J. (2017). Systematic review and meta-analyses of foodservice interventions and their effect on nutritional outcomes and satisfaction of adult oncology patients. Nutrition & Dietetics, 74(2), 116-128. 
  19. Phillipou, A., Rossell, S. L., Wilding, H. E., & Castle, D. J. (2016). Randomised Controlled Trials of Psychological and Pharmacological Treatments for Body Dysmorphic Disorder: A Systematic ReviewPsychiatry Research, 245, 179-185.
  20. Petty, S. J., Wilding, H., & Wark, J. D. (2016). Osteoporosis Associated with Epilepsy and the Use of Anti-Epileptics—a Review. Current Osteoporosis Reports, 14(2), 54-65.
  21. Sankaranarayanan, A., Mancuso, S., Wilding, H., Ghuloum, S., & Castle, D. (2015). Smoking, Suicidality and Psychosis: A Systematic Meta-Analysis. PLoS ONE, 10(9), e0138147.

Apply for a librarian co-author

Please read this page first so that you understand the librarian's role as a co-author. 

Apply here (SVHM staff only)

Helen Wilding

Helen Wilding, Senior Research Librarian

Carl de Gruchy Library, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
Helen.Wilding@svha.org.au

Literature Searching, Systematic Reviews, Mental Health liaison 
Thursdays, Fridays & alternate Wednesdays
Helen's profile | Researchgate | Orcid