Library Guides: Systematic Reviews: Protocols & Methods

Follow a Protocol

As a reminder, conducting a systematic review is very methodical and time-consuming. Before starting the process you need to plan out your protocol.

There is a growing movement to standardize the "best practices" in terms of protocol and methodologies for this type of research, and there are a number of bodies are making recommendations.

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2020 statement
"A guideline to help authors prepare protocols for planned systematic reviews and meta-analyses that provides them with a minimum set of items to be included in the protocol. The PRISMA 2020 Statement was published in 2021. It consists of a checklist and a flow diagram, and is intended to be accompanied by the PRISMA 2020 Explanation and Elaboration document.
The Cochrane Collaboration
"Cochrane Reviews are systematic reviews of primary research in human health care and health policy, and are internationally recognized as the highest standard in evidence-based health care resources. They investigate the effects of interventions for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation." Creator of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
EQUATOR Network
"The EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network is an international initiative that seeks to improve the reliability and value of published health research literature by promoting transparent and accurate reporting and wider use of robust reporting guidelines...A reporting guideline is a simple, structured tool for health researchers to use while writing manuscripts. A reporting guideline provides a minimum list of information needed to ensure a manuscript is developed using explicit methodology.”