Conducting searches for systematic and similar reviews can be a complex process. Whilst it is useful to develop independent searching skills, you may benefit from the specialist skills of our librarians at ACU Library.

There are 3 levels of service available: Standard, Mediated and Premium service.

Standard Service

Available to honours, postgraduate students and staff. Time limit is 1-3 hours.

It always helps to have a second set of eyes.

Our Standard Service enables you to meet with a librarian to:

• review or refine your research questions or topic
• advise on finding existing systematic reviews
• identify databases for your subject area
• assist with finding terms in thesauri
• review up to one search strategy
• recommend grey literature sources
• assist with reference management using EndNote
• advise on documenting search results (e.g. PRISMA).

We recommend providing an initial search strategy before meeting with us.

Please submit your completed search, including search terms and any results, either in a Word document or Print to PDF from your Search History in a relevant database.

Email the document to the library. We will reply within 3 business days to schedule an appointment.

Librarian acknowledgement is welcomed in any reports or research publications, but not required.

Mediated Service

Available to staff for systematic and scoping reviews. Other reviews by negotiation.

Our mediated service is available for complex review searches. A librarian will liaise closely with you to develop a comprehensive search for your research question. Assistance is also available for translating the search for additional relevant databases (up to 3).

We will assist to:

• review or refine your research questions or topic
• provide advice on finding existing systematic reviews
• recommend databases for your subject area
• review or create up to one search strategy
• provide advice on grey literature sources
• provide support for reference management using EndNote
• provide advice on documenting search results (e.g. PRISMA)
• translate a single search strategy into 3 databases
• edit the search strategy based on results.

Allow a minimum of 2 weeks to develop the initial search strategy.

Please contact the library to request this service. Please include your research question for review.

We will reply within 3 business days to schedule an appointment.

Librarian acknowledgement is expected for any resulting reports or research publications.

Premium Service * (Co-authorship)

Available to staff for systematic, scoping and other reviews.

*This service is available by negotiation and is subject to librarian availability.

Would you like a librarian to collaborate with your research team?

Your librarian can work with you to:

• review or refine your research questions or topic
• provide advice on finding existing systematic reviews
• find relevant protocols in PROSPERO
• recommend databases for your subject area
• review or create up to one search strategy
• provide support for reference management using EndNote
• provide advice on documenting search results (e.g. PRISMA)
• translate a single search strategy into multiple databases
• edit the search strategy based on results
• run the searches and export the results to reference management software
• de-duplicate references and prepare an EndNote library
• contribute to sourcing of articles in full text after they have been screened
• export citations to Covidence or Rayyan if required
• contribute to the Methods section of the paper
• provide copies of search strategies for inclusion in the appendix.

Librarians do not conduct hand searching, grey literature searching, or screen articles.

Please contact the library to request this service. Please include your research question for review.

We will reply within 3 business days to schedule an appointment.

Due to the level of intellectual input, librarian authorship is expected on any resulting reports or research publications.

Contact the library