Evidence Synthesis Ireland (ESI), which hosts Cochrane Ireland, aims to make evidence syntheses more usable in every sense of the word – better designed, conducted and reported, more useable for decision-makers and more usable within health care policy and clinical practice decision making across the island of Ireland and beyond.
We provide education for researchers, clinicians, the public and policymakers who conduct or use evidence syntheses.
We build capacity in planning, doing and sharing evidence syntheses through Fellowships, workshops and scholarships.
We advance the way we plan, do and share the results of evidence synthesis by finding out how to do these steps better.
june 2026
To register, click here This two half-days (3 hours each) workshop introduces participants to the comprehensive GRADE methodology of assessing the certainty of evidence. Through a
To register, click here
This two half-days (3 hours each) workshop introduces participants to the comprehensive GRADE methodology of assessing the certainty of evidence. Through a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises, participants will learn to assess the certainty of evidence by evaluating key domains, including methodological limitations, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, and publication bias. The workshop also covers evidence upgrading criteria and provides a practical demonstration of using the GRADEpro software.
In this course, participants will be enabled to:
The workshop combines interactive lectures with hands-on small–group exercises using Zoom breakout rooms and a demonstration of the GRADEpro GDT software. Evidence assessment domains are taught through a presentation followed by a practical exercise. Participants should go through the selected GRADE guidance papers provided in advance.
Dates: 10th & 12th June 2026
Time: 10:00 – 13:00
Places: 25
Location: Online
Prices: General €100; Student €50
Prerequisites: Attendees should have knowledge in conducting and/or using systematic reviews as well as the basic principles of evidence-based healthcare, and the critical appraisal of research studies, especially RCTs
Skill Level: Introductory
Target Audience: Systematic review authors, guideline developers, health and social care professionals, academics, researchers, postgraduate students, decision makers, Evidence Synthesis Ireland Fellows and other professionals
Facilitators:
Dr KM Saif-Ur-Rahman, Director of GRADE Ireland, Evidence Synthesis Methods Lead @ Evidence Synthesis Ireland
Prof. Declan Devane, Director of Evidence Synthesis Ireland & Cochrane Ireland, Professor of Health Research Methodology, University of Galway

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10 (Wednesday) 10:00 am - 12 (Friday) 1:00 pm
ONLINE
The innovative ESI Fellowships give Fellows the opportunity to learn about evidence synthesis, with hands-on experience of how to plan, design, conduct and report an evidence synthesis. Fellows are placed virtually with world-class evidence synthesis centres and review teams in Ireland and internationally, on policy and practice relevant reviews.
We’re committed to improving how we gather, interpret, and share vast amounts of information, a process known as evidence synthesis. Our approach isn’t just about conducting research; it’s about improving the very methods we use to plan, conduct, and share the results of this process.
We work in many different research areas relevant to evidence synthesis and have a particularly strong focus on rapid reviews, knowledge translation and “studies within a review” (SWARs).
“ Reporting on health care topics can rely too much on asking experts or reporting the results of a single study…what would be much more useful to members of the public, especially when it comes to making decisions about their own health, is for people to understand how to situate health claims in the global body of evidence. “