1. Produce a review protocol / plan
In a systematic review the methods to be employed in the review need to be made explicit before you start the review. The protocol / plan includes:
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•A conceptual discussion of the problem (similar to an extended abstract - typically 1000 words)
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•The review question(s)
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•The search strategy
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•The study selection criteria
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•Study quality assessment
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•Data extraction procedure
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•Data synthesis procedure
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•A project timetable
There are many advantages of producing a review protocol / plan:
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It helps to keep on track
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It helps you describe and explain your methods
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It helps you to reflect on any underlying assumptions, values and beliefs about the topic
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It helps you justify and defend your decisions
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It helps colleages or your supervisor (if you have one) to provide constructive critisism
- It helps your reader understand what you have done
It should be noted that your protocol/plan is not rigid or fixed but can be changed throughout the review. Alterations to your protocol/plan and the rationale for changes should be communicated.
You should be able to produce a review protocol by completing and combining all of the exercises in this section.
The text on this page was created by Professor David Denyer, Professor of Organizational Change, Cranfield School of Management.
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