Objectives: At the end of the workshop, we expect that participants will be: 1) familiar with different approaches of using systematic reviews to identify research gaps and needs; 2) able to translate these into proposals for new research; and 3) able to understand the limitations, challenges and opportunities of using systematic reviews to inform future research.
Description: The workshop will start with:
1. Definition of the concepts of research gaps and research needs, followed by an explanation of how systematic reviews can help identifying research gaps. We will illustrate how different methodological frameworks can be used to reach that goal. We will also use a number of examples including a methods project evaluating the implication of research on HIV Cochrane Reviews. The participants will then identify possible research gaps from different systematic reviews.
2. Once the participants have identified research gaps, a short presentation will discuss how to operationalize the need for new research. Following this presentation the participants will formulate the identified gaps as needs for further research.
3. Finally, the workshop will end with a discussion about how to involve relevant stakeholders in this process.
The workshop is organised on behalf of the Agenda and Priority Setting Methods Group, Applicability and Recommendations Methods Group and the Evidence Based Research Network