LibGuides: Systematic Reviews/Evidence Synthesis: Protocols

Develop a Written Protocol

All research should be carried out according to a pre-defined, written plan or protocol which should be registered to avoid redundancy and promote transparency. Use the PRISMA-P Checklist for Systematic Review Protocols to help develop the protocol. Be sure to include the following

Key research question(s) - consider using the PICO format
Research methodology and rationale for the systematic review
Inclusion/exclusion criteria for studies
Literature searching (published and unpublished literature)
Appraisal methods for quality of the individual studies
Data extraction, management, and synthesis

Indicate whether a review protocol exists; state if and where it can be accessed (for example, a Web address); and if available, provide registration information, including the registration number.

Search protocol registries and repositories for protocols or evidence syntheses in your discipline to see if your research topic has been done already to avoid duplication of research.

Two that are recommended are PROSPERO from the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination,
University of York, and the Open Science Framework (OSF) (Brackett, A., & Batten, J., 2020). Preregister your study at OSF.

Note: PROSPERO accepts registrations for systematic reviews, rapid reviews and umbrella reviews. PROSPERO does not accept scoping reviews or literature scans. PROSPERO sites registers systematic reviews of human studies and systematic reviews of animal studies (Bannach-Brown et al., 2024).

Scoping reviews can be registered with the Open Science Framework or Figshare, or their protocols published in some journals, such as JBI Evidence Synthesis.

For more info on scoping reviews:

Peters MDJ, Godfrey C, McInerney P, Munn Z, Tricco AC, Khalil, H. Scoping Reviews (2020). Aromataris E, Lockwood C, Porritt K, Pilla B, Jordan Z, editors. JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. JBI; 2024. Available from: https://synthesismanual.jbi.global. https://doi.org/10.46658/JBIMES-24-09

For protocol guidance on qualitative systematic reviews:

Butler, A., Hall, H., & Copnell, B. (2016). A guide to writing a qualitative systematic review protocol to enhance evidence-based practice in nursing and health care. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 13(3), 241–249. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12134

How to Write a Scoping Review Protocol: Guidance and Template
This Scoping Review Protocol Guidance is intended to serve as an educational tool for those developing or reviewing scoping review protocols including novice, intermediate, and experienced researchers and clinicians. This document provides information for each core protocol component (see color-coded headings) consisting of overarching goals, core requirements, helpful tips, and published protocol examples. Please note these examples may not include all recommendations provided herein (Lely et al., 2023).

This video from The University of Alabama Libraries provides an overview of what a systematic review protocol is, and how and why to create one:

Protocol Templates

Evidence Synthesis Protocol Template Template created by Kate Ghezzi-Kopel and Jaron Porciello, Cornell University Libraries. Based on the PRISMA Statement extensions for systematic review protocols and scoping reviews, and materials developed by The Campbell Collaboration.
Systematic Review Protocol Template - University of Warwick

Review Protocol Template Created by Sarah Visintini and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Systematic Review Protocol Template A downloadable template created by Stephanie Roth in 2021 and licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-SA License (4.0).
JBI SUMARI A program (free for Adelphi users) that facilitates the entire systematic review process. Includes team and contributor management for effective and efficient collaboration. Use JBI SUMARI to develop a systematic review protocol as well as for every step of the SR process.

References

Brackett, A., & Batten, J. (2020). Ensuring the rigor in systematic reviews: Part 2, preparation is key: The question and the protocol. Heart & Lung., 49(6), 965–966. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2020.07.001

Bannach-Brown, A., Rackoll, T., Kaynak, N., Drude, N., Aquarius, R., Vojvodić, S., ... & Wever, K. E. (2024). Navigating PROSPERO4animals: 10 top tips for efficient pre-registration of your animal systematic review protocol. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 24(1), 20.

Lely, J., Morris, H. C., Sasson, N., Camarillo, N. D., Livinski, A. A., Butera, G., & Wickstrom, J. (2023, May 30). How to write a scoping review protocol: Guidance and template. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/YM65X