The role of open research in improving the standards of evidence synthesis: current challenges and potential solutions in systematic reviews

Abstract

Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) are the cornerstone of evidence-based medicine and are placed at the top of the level-of-evidence pyramid. To date, there are several methodological resources available from international organizations such as the Cochrane Collaboration that aim to aid researchers in conducting high-quality secondary research and promoting reproducibility, transparency and scientific rigour. Nevertheless, researchers still face challenges in most stages of evidence synthesis. Open research and the FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) principles are rising initiatives being increasingly implemented in primary research. However, their beneficial role in secondary research is less emphasized. This article addresses how the challenges commonly faced during evidence synthesis research could be overcome using open research practices and currently available open research tools. Despite the phenomenally simple SR workflow, researchers still find tasks such as framing the SR research question, search strategy development, data extraction, and assessing for bias, challenging. The implementation of FAIR practices, including prospective registration at the PROSPERO database, abiding with the PRISMA guidelines, and making all SR data openly available could have significant benefits in avoiding duplication of effort and reducing research waste while improving the reporting standards of SRs. Additionally, this article highlights the need for further education in open research culture to overcome ethical and motivational barriers in implementing open research practices in evidence synthesis. Finally, in the era of technological breakthroughs, artificial intelligence may eventually be incorporated into the process of SRs and should abide by the FAIR standards for open research.