We are currently receiving a high volume of requests for help with systematic reviews. Please note the following, if your search request is for a systematic review. To ensure that we are able to help you promptly, please ensure that you are able to provide the following, either via this form, or when prompted in a follow-up email:

• Information about your research topic, and any restrictions you want applied to results (English language only, publication date, etc)
• Starting list of search terms, with synonyms for all relevant components of the search combined appropriately with AND and OR (for example, “liver neoplasms” is a synonym of “liver cancer”). We can help develop this list further, but we will need some starting suggestions
• The name of the referencing or screening software you will be using to store and screen the results (e.g. Endnote, Zotero, Rayyan)
• If you want help doing the review yourself, a description of what you have done so far, and a list of any specific things you want help with

Without this information, we will not be able to advise on your review or begin searching for it. If you are not yet at the point of being able to provide the above information, we would advise reading relevant sections of the library’s guide to systematic reviews, and/or undertaking this online course on developing systematic review search strategy. You are welcome then to get back in touch when you have the information required.

Do you need to carry out a literature or evidence search, and don’t know where to start? Are you worried you might have missed relevant articles, or whether you’re searching in the most efficient way possible? Whether you want us to do the search for you, or you want some help and advice in carrying out the search yourself, simply complete this form, and we will get back to you to provide the help you need.

Please note that to use this service you should be a registered member of the Medical Library. Also, we will not perform searches to support academic course work or study, but are happy to offer you literature search training and help.

If you contact us wanting literature search training (rather than us doing the search for you), we will expect that you have done a bit of preparation first — perhaps looking through the Medical Library’s guides and videos — and that you are able to describe your search topic, search terms, and the specific problems you’ve been having. If not, we will ask you to undertake this self-directed literature searching tutorial prior to our meeting. 

We will contact you within one working day of receiving your request. Please check the Literature Search Service Standards.