LibGuides: LibrarySkills@UCL for NHS staff: Publishing a protocol for your systematic or scoping review

Publishing a protocol

Publishing a protocol is not mandatory if you are writing a review, but it is increasingly considered best practice. The PRISMA statement includes a checklist to support the development of protocols and you may wish to consider publishing a protocol on one of the sites listed below.

PRISMA-P
PRISMA for systematic review protocols provides a checklist to support the preparation and reporting of protocols for systematic reviews.

Journals

BMC journals
BMC is an open access publisher. A number of BMC journals publish research protocols. The journals Systematic Reviews and BMJ Open publish protocols for systematic reviews and other categories of review.

Systematic review registration sites

PROSPERO
A free database of systematic review, rapid review, and umbrella review protocols. Registration, and submission of a protocol, is free of charge.
The Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Library includes protocols of Cochrane systematic reviews.
Cochrane Community: Proposing and registering new Cochrane Reviews
Information about registering a Cochrane review.
The Joanna Briggs Institute
Systematic reviews for publication in JBI Evidence Synthesis can be registered on this site

The JBI recommends that protocols are published in PROSPERO. The JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis includes information about how to write protocols for scoping reviews, umbrella reviews, and various types of systematic review.

Campbell Collaboration
Campbell systematic reviews, evidence and gap maps, and research methods papers can be registered on this site.
Campbell Collaboration: Submitting a proposal
Includes information about registering, and submitting a protocol.
INPLASY
The International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols can be used to register systematic or scoping reviews. There is a charge to register a review. Your protocol will be given a DOI.
Research Registry - Registry of Systematic Reviews/Meta-Analyses
The Research Registry can be used to register all types of research study. Reviews can be registered in the Registry of Systematic Reviews/Meta-Analyses.There is a charge to register a review. Your protocol will be given a DOI.

General registration sites

Open Science Framework
The Open Science Framework is a free, open source project management tool. Researchers can create a preregistration on the platform.
Open Science Framework: Preregistration
Create a preregistration on the Open Science Framework, which will include submitting a research plan. Your protocol will be given a DOI.
Figshare
A free open access repository for sharing academic research outputs that allows users to upload files in any format.
Zenodo
A general purpose open repository that allows researchers to deposit research papers, data sets, research software, reports, and any other research related digital artefacts.
Protocols.io
An open access platform for sharing research. A basic account is free.