Registering the review

Abstract

Good quality systematic reviews of any study type involve good design and careful planning. To minimise the risk of bias, methods should be pre-specifi ed in a protocol with subsequent deviations and changes from what was planned being recorded and explained in the completed review report. Transparency in conduct and reporting enables those using systematic review fi ndings to judge the quality of a review and assess for themselves the potential impact of any deviation from what was planned initially. This chapter presents the case for systematic review protocol registration and introduces PROSPERO, an open register designed specifi cally for prospective registration of systematic reviews. Considerations when registering a systematic review of reviews are illustrated with examples from PROSPERO.