Tools and Software for Researchers

EPCs, the Scientific Resource Center, and other AHRQ-funded entities have produced tools and software to aid researchers.

SRC Information Resource Services:

  • SRC Methods Library (1904—3rd Quarter 2017, no longer updated) Citation Database of Evidence Synthesis Methods and More).
  • PubMed.gov (no longer updated)—Evidence Synthesis Methods Searching Tool.

Abstrackr: Software for Semi-Automatic Citation Screening

OpenMetaAnalyst: Powerful Open-Source Software for Meta-Analysis

mmeta: Exact Bayesian Inference for Multivariate Meta-analysis of Binary Outcomes

Systematic Review Data Repository

SRC Information Resource Services

Contact us! Methods@epc-src.org

SRC Methods Library (SRCML) (1904—3rd Quarter 2017, no longer updated)

The evidence synthesis community’s one-stop source to find methodologies to inform their work (i.e., systematic reviews, meta-analyses, comparative effectiveness reviews, health technology assessments, guidelines, etc.).  The SRCML provided access to the international methods literature and links to free full text (when available), PubMed, and publisher Web sites. In addition to the citations available via the PubMed search tool the full SRCML contained citations from non-medical fields and more publication types (comments, dissertations, books, etc.).

PubMed.gov—Evidence Synthesis Methods Searching Tool (no longer updated)

Easily limit your PubMed search results to evidence synthesis methods papers using a tool developed by the SRC and PubMed. The tool limits search results to the methods for, or evaluation of, any step in doing or using evidence reviews/syntheses. It also includes citations on primary study methods to improve understanding of how these affect evidence syntheses.

The scope covers both methods research and guidance from international methods organizations. The publications include citations to journal articles as well as full-text documents at PubMed.

Methods research studies include:

  • Comparative evaluations of techniques
  • Development, evaluation, or validation of a technique
  • Analyses of the methods used by studies
  • Consensus and Delphi studies and surveys of methods
  • Systematic reviews of methods studies are also included

Using the subset search

In the search box enter (select link to search):   sysrev_methods[sb] AND [insert your search term(s) here]

For further subset information, please see these National Library of Medicine webpages:

Page last reviewed April 2018
Page originally created June 2015
Internet Citation: Tools and Software for Researchers. Content last reviewed April 2018. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/evidence-based-reports/technical/tools-software/index.html