Systematic Reviews

​​It is important to plan your research in advance of beginning your systematic search. A pre-established protocol gives structure and direction to your project, helps reduce error and bias, allows the review to be registered, and may be a requirement for publication.

A systematic review protocol is a document that explicitly lays out the objectives and methods for the review in advance. The benefits of taking the time to establish a protocol include:

• Consistent, pre-agreed upon actions of the research team.
• Reduced chance of arbitrary decisions.
• Decreased bias from making decisions after you have influential pieces of information.
• Anticipation of and plans for dealing with problems.
• Increased accountability and transparency.

Completing a protocol that conforms to a certain format may be a required step in the publication process for some reviews, such as systematic reviews published by the Cochrane Database. Other resources provide suggestions that can help you develop a protocol to serve as a guide for your team throughout the review process:

These are some common elements of a systematic review protocol which should be determined before beginning the search process:

• Describe the context and rationale for the review. What is it about, and why is a review required?
• Specify the review question, which should be developed using the PICO model.
• Identify the criteria for inclusion of studies in the review.
• List the review team members and what their roles and responsibilities will be.
• Describe the search strategy, including the intended sources, and the limits that will be applied.
• Detail the study selection process, including how many researchers will screen the initial results, and how they will select.
• Outline what kind of data will be extracted from included studies, how many researchers will perform the data extraction, and how they will extract.
• Have a plan for how discrepancies will be resolved between team members during selection and extraction processes.
• Describe how included studies will be evaluated for quality and bias.

Other elements to consider prior to beginning the search process include how records will be managed, the timetable for the review, how results will be synthesized, and how the findings will be disseminated.

Once you've completed your protocol, it is a good idea to register it.

Benefits of registering your review protocol:

• Helps prevent others from doing the same study.
• Keeps a record of parts of your protocol.
• Allows you to monitor the use of your review.

Where to register: