Systematic reviewing is a skill-based enterprise and requires continuous guidance in order to develop this skill. The systematic review course is theory-grounded but this is not enough, as further hands-on skills are needed in order to produce a high-quality systematic review. This systematic review course, developed by myself and delivered across countries in Africa over the past 10 years, has trained a critical mass of researchers, academic faculty, policy makers and postgraduate students. A major problem though, is that the training has not translated into systematic review manuscript production. As a result, I have decided to create the Danso Appiah Evidence-based Research Group that will concentrate on providing step-by-step practical guidance on preparing a systematic review (rapid review, scoping review, diagnostic test accuracy review, methods review etc.). In particular, the Group will engage members to take on the challenge of doing full systematic reviews as well as provide practical steps to ensure this is achieved.

Benefits of joining

• This research group will help you with how to identify innovative, demand-driven and policy-relevant topics and provide you with the technical guidance, resources and support you need to produce a high-quality systematic review paper. Not only that, but you will also be a working member of the group, and as such can benefit tremendously from the work of other members of the group.
• The group will continue to build members in the gold standard methods and approaches to enable them to generate best evidence, translate the evidence into policy and practice as a next step to bridge the research-policy gap. We will continue to help members to build essential skills that will transform them into grounded scientists and think tanks in their chosen fields.
• We will look for funding and call on dedicated members to be part of grant-funded projects and publications. Members will be trained in grantsmanship and will be mentored and supported by experienced researchers who have been successful in winning grants.
• As part of mentoring, you will be given the opportunity to deliver aspects of the systematic review course (as you saw one of my old students and a member of the group delivering astounding lectures yesterday). You can be given the opportunity to be a facilitator, even on the Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) course.
• Other areas including Evidence-based Implementation Research (EBIR), Evidence-based Clinical Guidelines, and others are in development and may offer further opportunities.
• If you are interested and would like to join the Danso-Appiah Evidence-based Research Group, follow the simple steps to register. A folder will be opened for you when you register so we can follow your progress and provide the necessary support where needed. We hope to produce systematic reviews as a group; an added benefit for joining. Further specific information will be made available to group members only.