Research Guides: Systematic Reviews: Creating and Registering your Protocol

What is a Systematic Review Protocol?

Systematic reviews include something called a protocol to ensure transparency in their search methods. Protocols also allow other researchers to replicate their findings.Your protocol will include detailed information about your search techniques, including what search terms you used, which databases you searched, and exactly when you conducted your search. It will also include inclusion-exclusion criteria, the factors that you designate will either qualify or disqualify a study from consideration.

Because it can take considerable time to complete a systematic review from start to finish, researchers often register their protocols to a database, so that other researchers are aware of ongoing reviews. This also helps to prevent two teams from inadvertently conducting a review on the same topic. Before you begin the arduous process of a systematic review, it is wise to survey the record of registered protocols to make sure there is not already a systematic review on your topic. Some important databases of systematic reviews are included below.

Systematic Review Databases

Cochrane Reviews
Cochrane has the most prominent collection of systematic reviews for medical research. From the Cochrane Library website: "The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) is the leading journal and database for systematic reviews in health care."
PROSPERO
From PROSPERO's website: "PROSPERO is an international database of prospectively registered systematic reviews in health and social care, welfare, public health, education, crime, justice, and international development, where there is a health related outcome."
The Campbell Collaboration
From the Campbell website: "The Campbell Collaboration is an international network publishing high quality, transparent and policy-relevant evidence syntheses and maps in the social sectors. Campbell has a growing list of editorial topic areas, including Methods, Social Welfare, Disability, Education, International Development, Crime and Justice, Training, Knowledge Translation and Implementation, and Business and Management."
Collaboration for Environmental Evidence
The Collaboration for Environmental Evidence collects systematic reviews on environmental research questions. CEE describes itself as "An open community of stakeholders working towards a sustainable global environment and the conservation of biodiversity. CEE seeks to promote and deliver evidence syntheses on issues of greatest concern to environmental policy and practice as a public service."