Background: The Cochrane priority setting methods group has been working on developing guidelines and methods in this area and how it relates to the Cochrane Collaboration. There are a few areas that would be relevant to this conversation. These include the following: - conducting research priority setting exercises that inform prioritisation of topics for conducting or updating systematic reviews; - using systematic reviews on primary research on the topic as a source of information for stakeholders who participate in a research priority setting process; and - using systematic reviews of other research priority setting exercises to either replace a research priority setting exercise or inform one.
Objectives: Our workshop will provide tools and guidance on how to use systematic reviews in the research priority setting process in any of the categories defined above. This includes how the methods of the research priority setting need to be adapted or the approach to conduct systematic reviews needs to be changed or adapted.
Description: The workshop will start with a few presentations, followed by small group activities, and finally result in a final discussion and summing-up. Presentation: There will be two presentations: (a) the methods of setting priorities for research—this includes guidance on how to make decisions and what methodology to choose based on the focus of the exercise and the stakeholders involved. This will be accompanied by a diagram on how to engage stakeholders in (b) the methods to conduct systematic reviews of research priority setting exercises and appraising them. The latter uses an adapted version of AMSTAR to conduct the evaluation. Exercise: The groups will be given different examples of research priority-setting exercises and systematic reviews of research priority-setting exercises along with appraisal forms to evaluate. Discussion and summing-up: The workshop will finish with reports from individual groups along with discussions on how these methods can be used in their organisations.