6: Planning a review

Photo by Google DeepMind from Pexels used under Pexels Licence.

A detailed plan for a review is commonly known as a protocol. Developing a plan is an iterative process that can take some time, especially when you are new to the task. Your first draft is likely to change as you learn more about what is needed. If you plan to publish your review it is now a common requirement to either publish or register the protocol before starting the actual review or at least register the protocol in a public database.

Prospero is an international database that prospectively registers systematic reviews in health and social care. The main purpose of databases like Prospero is to minimise duplication of reviews. These databases also reduce reporting bias by allowing completed reviews to be compared with planned protocols.

When planning a review you need to think about how it will be structured. Figure 1 shows the main components of a review.

Diagram that outlines the two stages of review writing. There is tet in the diagram that reads: Step 1: Protocol, that includes background/introduction and method. Step 2: Review, that includes results and discussion.
Figure 1: Stages of review writing
definition

Licence

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Practical introduction to writing reviews in health research Copyright © 2024 by La Trobe eBureau is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book