Treadwell's Service for Systematic, Scoping and Other Reviews

We are at capacity for projects and are not accepting new review requests.   

If we've reached maximum capacity with projects, you can learn how to execute the search yourself, using our course: 

• How to Perform Literature Searches for Systematic, Scoping and Other Reviews (requires an MGB username and password to log in) 

Or you might be able to leverage a librarian at a different institution if someone on your team has another affiliation. Finally, you can find an independent contract worker to perform the literature search using the resources below:

• Use Cochrane Engage 

• Post a call for work to the Cochrane Information Retrieval Methods or Expert Searching mailing lists (freelancers' rates may vary)

• Pay to use a methodologist listed in this outside company's directory

Treadwell offers two service levels for comprehensive reviews. These projects include but are not limited to: systematic reviews (without or without a meta-analysis), scoping reviews, rapid reviews and integrative reviews.

The level name reflects the credit the librarian will receive for their intellectual contribution to the project. Involving a librarian is widely recommended by major research organizations.

Acknowledgement Level

We complete part of the literature search, and you complete the rest.

• Hour-long consultation meeting
• Create a search for one of the required databases (Medline)
• Suggest databases for extending the search 

Co-authorship Level

We perform the entire literature search.

• All acknowledgment level services
• Fill out sections in the protocol relating to the search
• Create searches for all required databases
• Deduplicate and upload results into Covidence 
• Create PRISMA-compliant methods section and supplement
• Review manuscript and draft responses to peer reviewers or editors 
• Help with bulk upload of PDFs 

Peer reviewing a Medline search will amount to acknowledgment credit. For databases in addition to or other than Medline, we will recommend our co-authorship level.

Are you completing a non-comprehensive project such as a critical or narrative review? If so, you can contact us here and a librarian will be in touch.

We have a self-paced module on how to design and execute a literature search for any review. The course is available for enrollment below. You'll need to sign in using your MGB username and password:

• How to Perform Literature Searches for Systematic, Scoping and Other Reviews

Our course covers some of the steps within Covidence, but if you want to learn more and/or learn about extracting data, check out the Covidence Academy tutorials.

• The service will not be available if maximum capacity has been reached.
• The first author or project lead must be an employee of Massachusetts General Hospital.
  • We require active involvement from the lead of any project. 
• The librarian retains the right to change levels to accurately reflect the work being conducted.
• The librarian retains the right to refuse co-authorship.
• If you request multiple projects, they will be worked on sequentially. 
• Out of consideration for other teams waiting for our help, your project may be placed on temporary hold if we do not receive timely responses.
• Credit must be given to the librarian for their work on the project.