Systematic review
The assignment for this module has been designed to give all students the opportunity to prepare a document demonstrating their ability to produce a coherent, theoretically based argument justifying secondary research within a specific field. The development of a protocol is a key requisite for systematic review work
The format for this assignment is informed mainly by Cochrane resources for preparing protocols and students are strongly encouraged to visit www.cochrane-.
Remember this assignment is basically a statement of intent; the protocol outlines the plan for the review and should describe the rationale for the review; the objectives; and the methods that will be used to locate, select and critically appraise the studies, and to collect and analyze data from the included studies.
Preparing a protocol for a review makes you stop and think about what you’re doing; it can act as a working document for the reviewer(s); it can prevent duplication; and very importantly it can minimize bias by being transparent about what you plan to do in advance. The following guidelines have been devised to help in the preparation of the assignment.
