A evidence synthesis review team is essential to producing a sound evidence synthesis review. Team members work together in order to define their research question, develop a comprehensive search strategy aimed at mitigating bias and an effective workflow, and adhere to appropriate methodology, professional standards, and review guidelines. Teams may be as small as two people (although not recommended) or larger. Team members may have more than one role depending on their expertise and varying degrees of activity throughout each stage of the project. Ideally a team would include:
Librarians or Informationists, as they are sometimes referred to in some institutions, are essential to any evidence synthesis review team for their expertise in navigating the information landscape. Their expertise is instrumental in thinking through initial question development, developing the scope or research plan, identifying tools to be used, constructing and documenting the search strategy which would include use of Boolean operators, help in broadening terminology, and applying validated filters (like Clinical Queries, InterTASC, HIRU hedges, and more).
It's at this stage where authorship and acknowledgements should be negotiated.
Authorship is not just about credit - it reflects intellectual contributions and a shared responsibility for the integrity of the work. Researchers have an obligation to ensure all substantive contributors are fairly acknowledged. Clear contributorship policies and established authorship criteria support transparency and accountability. Below are a few guidelines to help you think through how to give credit appropriately.