A protocol outlines your objectives, planned methodology, and eligibility criteria. Developing and publishing a prospective protocol is considered a best practice in conducting a systematic review. Publishing a protocol in advance of the work is a requirement for many publishers and a recommendation of others. Additionally, publishing a complete protocol provides the authors with a set of guidelines to follow while working on the initial review and facilitates reliable reproducibility post-publication.
Elements of a Cochrane protocol
- Research Question
- Background
- Objectives
- Methods
- Criteria for selecting studies for this review (eligibility criteria):
- Types of studies
- Types of participants
- Types of interventions
- Types of outcome measures
- Search methods for identification of studies
- Databases you will use
- Search terms you will use
- Data collection and analysis
Note: elements may vary by discipline