Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Involving Individuals with Developmental Language Disorder and Their Parents/Carers in Research Priority Setting
Published on: June 6, 2020
Inconsistent views among systematic review authors toward publishing protocols as peer-reviewed articles: an
Tanja Rombey1, Livia Puljak2, Katharina Allers3
1Institute for Research in Operative Medicine, Faculty of Health, School of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Cologne, Germany.
Objectives:
This study aimed to explore views of authors of systematic reviews (SRs) registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) toward publishing SR protocols as peer-reviewed articles.
Study Design And Setting:
Contact persons of all PROSPERO records for non-Cochrane SRs registered in 2018 (N = 12,531) were invited to participate in an anonymous 5-minute online survey that was administered through SurveyMonkey. The main question addressed SR authors' views toward publishing SR protocols as peer-reviewed articles. Data were analyzed descriptively.
Results:
In total, 4,223 (33.7%) of 12,531 invitees responded, of which 3,739 (88.5%) completed the survey. Almost half of the international respondents had published or planned to publish a protocol for the SR described in their PROSPERO record as a peer-reviewed article (1,811/4,054; 44.7%). Most respondents agreed that publishing a protocol in a peer-reviewed journal increases SR quality as reviewers get external feedback from peer reviewers (2,899/3,739; 77.5%) but at the same time agreed that it is not necessary if the SR is registered in PROSPERO (2,399/3,739; 64.2%).
Conclusion:
SR authors seem to have inconsistent views toward publishing protocols as peer-reviewed articles, and many seem to consider registration in PROSPERO (without peer review) sufficient. Hence, awareness about the benefits of publishing protocols as a peer-reviewed article in addition to registration in PROSPERO should be raised.
Related Concept Videos
The Scientific Method
Generally, predictions are tested using carefully-designed experiments. Based on the outcome of these...
Cross-reactivity
Systematic Error: Methodological and Sampling Errors
Sampling errors originate from improper sampling methods or the wrong sample population. These errors can be minimized by refining the sampling strategy. Defective instruments or faulty calibrations are the sources of instrumental...
Feedback Inhibition
Bias
In statistics, a sampling bias is created when a sample is collected from a population, and some members of the population are not as likely to be chosen as others (remember, each member...
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...

