Systematic and complex literature reviews

Protocols

A protocol is a document outlining what the review aims to investigate, how it will investigate (including the search strategy and the databases) and how the findings will be critically appraised, the data extracted and reported. It is usually written in future tense outlining what you will be doing with your review. Protocols help keep the review on track and ensure all parties understand the process that is going to occur.

In the case of a Systematic Review, protocols are usually registered. For a Systematic Literature Review, and other types of reviews, protocols may be created to guide the systematic approach but, in some cases, might not be formally registered and/or peer reviewed. Be sure to check the author instructions in the journal you are targeting as they may require registration.

Examples of protocols and guides such as PRISMA and JBI Sumari can be found in the following links:

Some researchers may not have a formally registered and peer reviewed protocol, but have made their protocols available open access via data repositories, research forums, or research networking sites eg OpenScience Framework’s OSF Registries or Figshare.