How the eBASE systematic review training changed the way I look at research

My name is Fabian Achangwi. I am a young Cameroonian clinical biologist and researcher working on antimicrobial resistance, neonatal sepsis, infectious diseases and diagnostic development. Eight months ago, I took part in the JBI Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program (CSRTP) organised by eBASE Africa in Cameroon. Since then, I have contributed to five systematic reviews and shared what I learned with more than 20 researchers and students. 

Before the training, I saw research mainly as collecting and generating data. I was already working in research, but my understanding of systematic reviews still felt like a puzzle with missing pieces. I wanted to understand how to bring different pieces of evidence together and use them to answer research questions more systematically. 

In February 2026, I joined other young researchers in Yaounde for the JBI Comprehensive Systematic Review Training organised by eBASE Africa. One lesson has stayed with me: before generating more data, I need to understand the evidence that already exists. What is already known? How reliable is it? Where are the gaps? And what do we still need to find out? Those questions are now part of the way I approach my work. 

Putting the learning into practice 

Since the training, I have contributed to five systematic reviews. Two are systematic reviews on antimicrobial resistance. One examines factors influencing biofilm formation and its association with antimicrobial resistance. Another looks at the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp. within a One Health framework. Both are currently under review, and I am an author of both. 

I am also an author on a review examining antimicrobial resistance as a global health security threat, where screening is currently in progress. I have served as a reviewer on a scoping review on health decision-making guidance in Africa and on HPV Map Ver1. Both are under review.  
Because these studies are still in progress or under review, I am not able to share the protocols at this stage.  

Across these reviews, I have worked on developing review questions, conducting literature searches, screening studies, critically appraising evidence, developing protocols, and contributing to evidence synthesis. I have also used JBI SUMARI. 

In my work as a Research Assistant, I contribute to research on antimicrobial resistance, neonatal sepsis and infectious diseases. Evidence synthesis now helps me look critically at the literature, identify research gaps and explore evidence that can help inform research priorities and diagnostic development. For me, that has been one of the most practical changes since the training. 

Sharing what I learned 

These skills are not limited to my systematic review work. In my work as a Research Assistant, I contribute to research on antimicrobial resistance, neonatal sepsis, and infectious diseases. Evidence synthesis helps me examine the literature, identify gaps, and make more informed decisions about what questions need for further investigation.  I have seen this particularly in my work on antimicrobial resistance. We were dealing with fragmented and sometimes inconsistent evidence on antibiotic resistance patterns. Instead of relying on the findings of a single study, our team systematically searched for available studies, screened them, and critically appraised the evidence. This allowed us to identify recurring resistance patterns as well as gaps in the available evidence. It helped us refine our research questions, interpret findings more carefully, and identify areas where further investigation was needed, particularly when the existing evidence was not sufficient to guide diagnostic and treatment decisions.  That is what applying evidence synthesis looks like in my day-to-day research. 

I have also been sharing what I learned with other young researchers. I am the founder of Neotraq Africa, a research development initiative in Cameroon. In May and June 2026, systematic review and analysis formed part of the core curriculum of the initiative's four-week Translational Research Internship Programme for its first cohort. 

Researchers, healthcare professionals and students learned how to develop search strings to find relevant literature, write research protocols and screen articles. Pasted text 
This was one way for me to take skills I had strengthened during the training and use them with other researchers. 

I also lead research groups where we use these approaches to strengthen research questions, assess evidence and plan research more systematically. I am beginning to see some of this reflected in the way my team works. Evidence synthesis is increasingly being used to identify research gaps, strengthen research questions, guide study design and support diagnostic development.  

One concrete example was during our work on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), where evidence synthesis helped us address the problem of fragmented and inconsistent evidence on antibiotic resistance patterns. Rather than relying on findings from a single study, our team systematically searched, screened, and critically appraised available studies to identify consistent resistance patterns and gaps in the evidence. This helped us refine our research questions, interpret findings more carefully, and identify priorities for further investigation, particularly where existing evidence was insufficient to guide diagnostic and treatment decisions. Evidence synthesis therefore helped us make more informed, evidence-based research decisions rather than relying on assumptions or isolated findings.

There is still more to learn 

The journey has not been without challenges. Access to some research databases and full-text resources remains difficult. There are also limitations around software and advanced evidence synthesis tools. I would like more opportunities for continued mentorship, particularly in advanced evidence synthesis, meta-analysis and translating evidence into policy and practice.  

My next goal is to lead and publish systematic and scoping reviews. I want to deepen my expertise in advanced evidence synthesis and meta-analysis. I also want to continue mentoring and training researchers and students. 

In the longer term, I hope to contribute evidence synthesis to guidelines, policy and research priorities, and help strengthen evidence synthesis capacity across Africa.

What changed for me? 

If another young African researcher asked me what the training changed for me, this would be my answer: I would simply tell them that CSRTP taught me how to look at research differently. Before the training, I saw research mainly as collecting and generating data. Now, I understand the importance of finding what is already known, checking how reliable it is, and using that evidence to make better decisions. I have since used these skills in several research projects, systematic reviews, and while training other young researchers. For me, CSRTP was not just a training it gave me a practical skill that I continue to use in my everyday research work and share with others.

Watch highlights of the training here.