What is a systematic review protocol and how to register it? - Pubrica

1. What is a Systematic Review Protocol and How to Register it Dr. Nancy Agens, Head, Technical Operations, Pubrica sales@pubrica.com In Brief A systematic review protocol describes the rationale, hypothesis, methods of the review. The protocol should be prepared before a systematic review is being started, and it is used as a guide to carry out the systematic review. A detailed protocol should be developed prior writing, made publicly available, and registered in a registry such as The Cochrane Collaboration, The Campbell Collaboration, PROSPERO, The Joanna Briggs Institute, Collaboration. I. INTRODUCTION A systematic review protocol describes your hypothesis methodology. The authors use the protocol as a guide to conduct the research studies, and it is recommended to register your protocol before conducting your review which will improve transparency and reproducibility but will also ensure that no other research teams duplicate your efforts. The protocol sets out in advance along with the methods to be used in the review to minimize bias. The systematic review protocol should specify the review question to be investigated, and the background section should explain the key factors as well as provide justifications for the review. The systematic review protocol should also mention the methodological process which will be used to identify the research evidence, research studies for inclusion, data extraction for included studies, quality assessment for included studies, synthesis results, and disseminate the findings. and planned Fig 1. Systematic Review Protocols and The BEME In cases, the author needs any modification to the protocol, and protocol amendments should be documented and justified. II. HOW TO REGISTER A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL? The author can register your protocol with the below-mentioned organizations, all of which provide a set of instructions in preparing a protocol for submission The Cochrane Collaboration The Campbell Collaboration PROSPERO The Joanna Briggs Institute The BEME Collaboration Every protocol registration process will have a set of reporting guidelines MECIR Expectations for Cochrane Intervention Reviews) Manual Instructions on reporting protocols Intervention reviews PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews - Protocols) For protocols and the planned (Methodological for Cochrane systematic review Copyright © 2020 pubrica. All rights reserved 1

2. Education Health and Social Care International Development Public Health Welfare VI. THE BEME COLLABORATION III. THE COCHRANE COLLABORATION The Cochrane Collaboration is the other primary organization which administer the conducting of a systematic review, and the work is internationally recognized as the benchmark for high-quality information about the effectiveness of health care. The organization mission is to produce high- quality, relevant, and accessible systematic reviews by promoting evidence-informed health decision-making synthesized research evidence. Subject Areas: Healthcare IV. THE CAMPBELL COLLABORATION The Campbell Collaboration is one of the two major primary organization which administer the conducting of a systematic review, as it promotes positive social and economic change and other evidence syntheses for the evidence-based policy through the production of systematic reviews. Subject Areas: Business and Management Crime and Justice Disability Education International Development Knowledge Translation Implementation Methods Nutrition Social Welfare V. PROSPERO PROSPERO is an international systematic review registered in health and social care, and their key features are recording the systematic review maintaining the database permanently. Subject Areas: Crime and Justice The Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) Collaboration is the international organizations (individuals, universities and professional), who are dedicated to the advancement of evidence-based education in the medical and healthcare professions BEME’s aims are achieved through the dissemination of information for decision- making, the production of systematic reviews, and the creation of a culture of evidence-based education. Subject Areas: Medicine Healthcare Protocol Template: Systematic Review (obtained http://dal.ca.libguides.com/ld.php?content _id=14681285) Review __________________________________ _____________________________ 1.Background I. Important characteristics What are the vital population or disease characteristics (epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, aetiology, prognosis)? II. Relevance Does the review topic have important implications for health (individual or public), as well as health care, policy and research? III. Rationale Does the evidence (including existing systematic reviews) fail to answer the and other from title: and protocol and Copyright © 2020 pubrica. All rights reserved 2

3. III.Quality assessment review question, and why? IV. Justification Is the need for the review justified in the light of the potential health implications and current limitations of the evidence base? V. Specification What are the PICO elements of the review question/objective? 2.Methods What criteria used to assess methodological quality? How will quality assessment be performed? are the the IV.Data extraction What are the essential data to be extracted? How will data extraction produced, how extracted data be presented? be and will I.Search strategy Which electronic databases you search? What are your key terms? What sources will you search? will V.Data synthesis search How will data be combined, why? What are potential resources of heterogeneity, and how will they be assessed? 3.Process Required resources to conduct a systematic review, and are they available? Relevant expertise Computing facilities Research databases Bibliographic software Statistical software other and the effect II.Selection criteria What inclusion/exclusion criteria? Will you impose any additional such as language, publication study design? How will the study selection performed? are the limits, type, be Copyright © 2020 pubrica. All rights reserved 2

4. How will the findings of the review be disseminated? Target audience Publication type Communication media 4.Timetable The draft protocol for internal review Protocol for external review Searching and study selection Data extraction Quality assessment Draft report for peer review Submit for publication Completion date: Lead reviewer: In summary, a systematic review protocol illustrates the theory and the planned methodology of a review, and it is recommended to conducting a review to avoid and ensure duplication of your efforts as well as to improve the transparency reproducibility. There are several registries available for registering the protocol and make sure to read all the detailed guidelines before submission. REFERENCE 1. Sharon Straus et al., Registering systematic reviews, CMAJ. 2010 January 12; 182(1): 13–14. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.081849 2. Campbell Library. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2019, from https://campbellcollaboration.org/library/campbell- systematic-review-templates.html Stewart et al., Why prospective registration of systematic reviews makes Reviews 2012, 1:7 DOI: 10.1186/2046-4053-1-7 https://guides.library.cornell.edu/evidence- synthesis/protocol https://www.nihlibrary.nih.gov/services/systematic- review-service/systematic-review-protocols-and- protocol-registries http://dal.ca.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=1468 1285 http://www.cochrane.org/ https://www.campbellcollaboration.org/library.html https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/ 10.http://joannabriggs.org/ 11.http://www.bemecollaboration.org/ 3. register before sense Systematic 4. and 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Copyright © 2020 pubrica. All rights reserved 2