The Office of Grants and Research (OGR) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in collaboration with the KNUST Chapter of the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG-KNUST), recently organized an intensive workshop on “Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Held at the KNUST School of Business Postgraduate Block D from July 29 to August 1, 2024, the event aimed to equip participants with practical skills in conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses, key components of high-quality academic and professional research.
Participants included faculty members, postgraduate students, and researchers from a wide range of academic backgrounds, all of whom were eager to deepen their research capabilities. The workshop featured a series of comprehensive sessions that provided attendees with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience.
Co-founder of the Diabetes in Africa Knowledge Integration Network (DAKIN), Mr. Emmanuel Ekpor, led a session on “Conducting the Systematic Literature Search: How to Develop a Search Strategy and Run a Search on PubMed.” He offered valuable insights into crafting effective search strategies using Boolean operators and specialized databases, with a focus on the PubMed platform.
Mr. Ekpor illustrated these techniques through a case study on the prevalence of obesity among children in Africa, employing the COCOPOP framework. A PhD candidate at the University of Debrecen, Hungary, Dr. Mohammed Merzah, provided guidance on developing Eligibility Criteria (EC) for systematic reviews.
His session emphasized the importance of clear inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure the reliability of research findings. In another key session, Dr. Cyril Dziedzorm Boateng from the Department of Physics, KNUST, covered “Data Extraction: Tools to Use in Performing Data Extraction.”
Dr. Boateng underscored the necessity of meticulous data extraction in preserving the validity of systematic reviews and shared practical tips on utilizing various data extraction tools. A Psychiatrist and Part-Time Lecturer at KNUST, Dr. Kwabena Poku Kusi-Mensah, discussed “Quality Assessment (QA)/Risk of Bias (RoB) Assessment.”
He clarified the distinctions between QA and RoB, introducing participants to a range of QA tools and methods for conducting bias assessments, particularly in Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs). The workshop also featured Dr. Moses Ocan, a Lecturer of Pharmacology at Makerere University, Uganda, who demonstrated the use of meta-analysis software in conducting basic meta-analyses.
His session provided participants with the opportunity to engage in practical exercises, enhancing their ability to synthesize data across multiple studies. Supported by prominent partners such as the Elite Research and Data Science Institute (ERDSI) and the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) AuthorAID Ghana Hub, the workshop underscored the University’s dedication to advancing research excellence.
As the event concluded, participants were encouraged to apply the newly acquired skills to their own research endeavors, thereby contributing to the ongoing academic and professional innovation at KNUST.