Topaz Project: How to conduct a transdisciplinary umbrella review

This paper highlights the growing need to synthesise existing reviews to provide clear and accessible evidence for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Key features of the paper include:

• A 12-step process for conducting umbrella reviews, from planning and searching to appraisal and reporting
• Guidance on transdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together researchers from diverse fields such as psychology, education, and technology.
• Strategies for engaging end-users early and throughout the review process to ensure findings are relevant and practical.
• Practical advice on synthesising and presenting evidence in ways that are credible, trustworthy, and useful for multiple audiences.

By combining these elements, the paper provides a structured pathway for researchers to generate robust and accessible evidence about young children’s interactions with digital technologies.

Overall, the paper contributes to the Centre’s ‘how to’ series by providing a practical pathway for researchers seeking to work across disciplines to generate credible and useful syntheses of existing research on digital childhood.

Volume/Number: 2026-02

Date published: February 2026

Series type: How to

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26187/jr2z-cp44

Suggested citation: Beynon. A., Straker. L & Zabatiero. J. 2026 How to conduct a transdisciplinary umbrella review to support decision-making regarding children and digital technology. Digital Child Working Paper 2026-02, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Brisbane, Australia.