Evidence Synthesis Workshops

Two linked online workshops

#1. Evidence Synthesis for Research in Social Sciences: An Introduction

#2. Quantitative and Qualitative methods for Evidence Synthesis: Meta-analysis & Meta-ethnography

When:  

Wednesday 25 February 2026, 10.30-12.30 (Session #1)

Thursday 26 February 2026, 13.30-15.30 (Session #2)

Where: Online (Teams)

What:

These two online workshops will introduce postgraduate researchers to the principles and practices of evidence synthesis in the social sciences, offering both conceptual understanding and practical guidance.

Session 1 – Evidence Synthesis for Research in Social Sciences: An Introduction
This session will provide an accessible overview of evidence synthesis as a systematic and transparent approach to integrating findings from existing research. Students will learn about the different types of evidence synthesis (e.g., systematic reviews, scoping reviews, meta-analyses, and qualitative syntheses) and the key steps involved – from defining a research question to reporting findings.

Session 2 – Quantitative and Qualitative Methods for Evidence Synthesis: Meta-analysis & Meta-ethnography
Building on the introductory session, this workshop offers a more focused exploration of two commonly used approaches for evidence synthesis: meta-analysis (for quantitative data) and meta-ethnography (for qualitative data). The session will outline their methodological foundations, illustrate key stages of each process, and provide practical examples to help students understand how to select, conduct, and interpret these methods in their own research.

The facilitator: Dr Alessio Bellato

Dr. Alessio Bellato is a Lecturer in Children and Young People’s Mental Health at the University of Southampton, an Honorary Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, and co-lead of the South-East Asia Mental Health Consortium (SEAMHC). He is Joint Editor of JCPP Advances, where he manages submissions involving systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Dr. Bellato is also a member of the NHS England ADHD Taskforce (Evidence Expert Group) and serves on the Expert Panel for ADHD Digital Health Technologies within Eunethydis (the European Network for ADHD). His research combines evidence synthesis with empirical and psychophysiological methods to better understand emotional and arousal regulation across development and cultures. He has extensive experience conducting and supervising systematic reviews and meta-analyses in mental health and neurodevelopmental research, and in delivering training for students, academics, and healthcare professionals.

Who the training is for:

This training is suitable for students across the Doctoral Training Partnership network, particularly those at the Masters and First year PhD phase. Where space is available it will be opened to other PGRs in the SCDTP universities.

The detail:

To build some shared knowledge of evidence synthesis, course participants are encouraged to consult the blog “Evidence synthesis: what every student (and researcher) should know” prepared by Dr. Bellato for Times Higher Education, ahead of the workshops.

You are free to choose the workshop best suited to your needs, but you are welcome to participate in both sessions. There will be no issues with overlap between the two workshops.

How to join:

Complete the online form here by Thursday 12 February 2026.