Knowledge Synthesis: Systematic, Scoping & Other Reviews
- Planning your review
- Knowledge Synthesis Service
- Developing your research question
- Drafting your protocol
- Creating your eligibility criteria
- Choosing sources to search
- Running your searches
- Exporting search results
- Quality assessment and data extraction
- Writing your methods section
- Equity in knowledge translation
- Workshop resources
- Tools
What is a Protocol and Why Do You Need It?
A protocol is a plan for how you will conduct your review. It will save you time and frustration when conducting your review because the process prompts you to think through how you will approach issues which may arise in the search, screening, extraction, and synthesis stages of your review.
It's recommended to publicly register your protocol. Registration can:
- Avoid duplication of effort
- Increase transparency
- Reduce bias
- Raise awareness of your work pre-publication
Adapted from: Stewart L, Moher D, Shekelle P (2012). Why prospective registration of systematic reviews makes sense. Systematic Reviews 1(7) https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-4053-1-7
- PRISMA-P for Systematic Review ProtocolsGuidelines for carrying out systematic reviews, including a checklist, statement paper, and explanation and elaboration paper.
- PRISMA - ScR (Scoping Reviews)For reporting on scoping reviews and evidence maps.
Registering a Protocol
Some journals publish systematic or scoping review protocols. You may also register your protocol in PROSPERO or Open Science Framework. If you have questions regarding protocol publication, email your subject librarian for assistance.
- PROSPEROThis international database includes records for health and social care systematic reviews that have been registered but not yet published. Key features from the review protocol are recorded and maintained as a permanent record in PROSPERO.
- OSF: Creating a RegistrationRegistration templates are available. Registrations are timestamped and can be updated and promoted to allow for transparency.
- UBC cIRcle: SubmissionscIRcle welcomes submissions of scoping or systematic review protocols with a UBC-affiliated author.
- Evidence Synthesis Protocol TemplateUse this document as a template to prepare a protocol for a range of evidence synthesis methodologies (such as systematic reviews, scoping reviews, or systematic maps).
- Research RegistryFee for service registry. It registers all types of research studies.
Data Management for Systematic and Scoping Reviews
A strong research data management plan (DMP) is important for any research project, and should be developed in parallel with your protocol. The DMP outlines aspects such as, what kinds of data you will collect and create, what file formats are being used, is there a preservation plan for your data, and what data will be shared and how.
For more information on data management for knowledge synthesis:
General information on research data management can be found on UBC's Research Data Management site.
In addition to being a place to register your protocol, OSF can host your review data such as search strategies and data extraction forms.
- Alliance Template for Systematic ReviewsData management template for systematic reviews from the Digital Research Alliance of Canada.
- Last Updated: March 4, 2025