Step 2: Create a Protocol
A systematic review protocol states your rationale, hypothesis, and planned methodology. Members of the team then use the protocol as a guide for conducting the research. It is recommended that you register your protocol before conducting your review. Registering your protocol will improve transparency as well as alerting other researchers of your intentions so efforts are not duplicated.
Start Writing Your Protocol with this Template
UK Libraries has developed a protocol development tool that is freely available to UK faculty, staff, and students. You will find a template with detailed guidance and examples. You will also find links back to various sections of this guide. Please do not use DMPTool to register your protocol, you will need to download the PDF and register it. You can read more about registering further down on this page.
The first step in using the protocol template is to login to DMPTool. Use this link and your uky.edu email to login:
- Starting a Review: A ProtocolThis template is intended to help UK students, faculty, and researchers begin a systematic review, scoping review, or other evidence synthesis. We have adapted the PRISMA Protocol Extension into this active form. Guidance is provided throughout the template.
- Developing a Protocol Using DMPToolUse this PDF to develop a protocol .
Why Write a Protocol
A systematic review protocol states your rationale, hypothesis, and planned methodology. Members of the team then use the protocol as a guide for conducting the research. It is recommended that you register your protocol before conducting your review. Registering your protocol will improve transparency as well as alerting other researchers of your intentions so efforts are not duplicated.
Systematic Review
PROSPERO
Alexander Flannery, Chad Venn. Healthcare Exposures Preceding Hospitalization with Sepsis: A Systematic Review. PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020216759 https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020216759
Scoping Review
OSF Registration and Publication
Robinson, L. E., Skaggs, P., Scutchfield, F. D., & Bell, S. (2021, December 16). A Scoping Review Examining Providers’ Stigmas and the Effects on Patients with Opioid Use Disorder: A Protocol. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/UMJAF
What's the Difference between Registering & Publishing
A systematic review protocol can either be registered or published. There are only a few journals that publish systematic review protocols. Registering your protocol in an publicly accessible database is encouraged so that other authors will not complete a review on your topic. It is a best practice to search for publicly registered reviews on your topic before starting the review process. Registering your protocol helps to avoid unintended duplication of reviews and increases transparency.
Systematic Review
BMJ Open Publication
Lawrence, K. A., Pachner, T. M., Long, M. M., Henderson, S., Schuman, D. L., & Plassman, B. L. (2020). Risk and protective factors of dementia among adults with post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review protocol. BMJ Open, 10(6), e035517. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035517
Scoping Review
OSF Registration and Publication
Skaggs, Peyton; F. Douglas Scutchfield; Robinson, Lauren E.; Bell, Sarah Beth. A Scoping Review Examining Providers’ Stigmas and the Effects on Patients with Opioid Use Disorder: A Protocol. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/UMJA
Where to Register a Protocol
- Campbell Collaboration"The Campbell Collaboration promotes positive social and economic change through the production and use of systematic reviews and other evidence synthesis for evidence-based policy and practice."
Disciplines: Business and Management, Crime and Justice, Disability, Education, International Development, Knowledge Translation and Implementation, Methods, Nutrition, and Social Welfare - Cochrane"Our mission is to promote evidence-informed health decision-making by producing high-quality, relevant, accessible systematic reviews and other synthesized research evidence. Our work is internationally recognized as the benchmark for high-quality information about the effectiveness of health care."
Disciplines: Healthcare - PROSPEROAn international database of prospectively registered systematic reviews in health and social care. Key features from the review protocol are recorded and maintained as a permanent record. (Does not accept scoping reviews.)
Disciplines: Health and Social Care, Welfare, Public Health, Education, Crime, Justice, and International Development - Open Science FrameworkAn open source web application that connects and supports the research workflow. Researchers use the OSF to collaborate, document, archive, share, and register research projects, materials, and data. OSF can be used to pre-register a systematic or scoping review protocol and to share documents such as a Zotero library, search strategies, and data extraction forms.
Disciplines: Multidisciplinary
Where to Publish a Protocol
- BMJ OpenBMJ Open "will consider publishing without peer review protocols that have formal ethical approval and funding from a recognised, open access advocating research-funding body". Otherwise, protocols are peer reviewed.
- Systematic Reviews, a BioMed Central journalThis open access title publishes protocols of systematic reviews broadly related to health sciences.
Standards & Guidelines
- Cochrane Handbook for Systematic ReviewsChapter 2: Guide to the contents of a Cochrane protocol and review
- Finding What Works in Health Care: Standards for Systematic ReviewsRecommended standards for developing the systematic review protocol.
- Protocol Guidance from PRISMAResources from the team that developed PRISMA
- EQUATOR NetworkThe 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.
- MECIR (Methodological Expectations for Cochrane Intervention Reviews) ManualGuidelines on reporting protocols for Cochrane Intervention reviews
