Systematic Reviews & Evidence Synthesis
Guidelines and Standards Documents
You Need (at least) Two!
There are two main types of guideline/standards documents for evidence synthesis projects:
You may also want to use a protocol template.
These guidelines are often developed by research organizations or groups in various fields and reflects the specific scholarly traditions of those fields. There are also specific guidelines developed for specific types of review articles.
Select the methodology and reporting guidelines that best match your project.
NOTE: This library guide is not meant to serve as methodological guidance. It is curated resources and help to guide you through the process, but should be thoroughly supplemented with appropriate guidance documents from your field.
Methods Guidelines
Note: Health and medicine has led the field in developing evidence synthesis methodology. If you cannot find a guidelines appropriate to your field or review type, review the methodological guidelines from Cochrane and discuss appropriate adaptation of those guidelines with colleagues in you field or the CSU Evidence Synthesis Librarian.
Health / Medicine
- Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of InterventionsThe Cochrane Collaboration has set the gold standard for systematic reviews on healthcare intervention effectiveness. The Cochrane Handbook outlines guidelines and standards for each step of the review process.
- Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews (MECIR)This companion document for the Cochrane Handbook is structured as a table of the standards, their level of importance and rational, and links to the relevant section in the Cochrane Handbook. It links methods to reporting standards for Cochrane.
- JBI Manual for Evidence SynthesisJBI has become a leader in evidence synthesis practice, especially for scoping reviews, across many fields but originates from evidence-based nursing and allied health practice.
Social Sciences
- Campbell Standards: Modernizing Campbell's Methodologic Expectations for Campbell Collaboration Intervention Reviews (MECCIR)The Campbell Collaboration is the guidance organization for evidence synthesis work in the social sciences. This is the most recent Campbell Standards checklist for all evidence synthesis reviews (see Table 1). It is a simplified checklist with minimal methodological guidance. For more methodological guidance, see their "Campbell systematic reviews: Policies and guidelines" document.
- [PDF] Campbell systematic reviews: Policies and guidelines (version 1.8, February 2021)Guidelines for systematic reviews published by the Campbell Collaboration.
- Cochrane-Campbell Handbook for Qualitative Evidence SynthesisThis new collaborative handbook from two major organizations in evidence synthesis, Cochrane and the Campbell Collaboration, is in the process of being released online and in-print throughout 2023 and 2024. You will need to set up a free account to access the online chapters.
- What Works Clearinghouse (Education)Guidelines on evidence synthesis from the What Works Clearninghouse of the US Institute of Education Sciences.
Environmental Evidence
- Guidelines and Standards for Evidence Synthesis in Environmental ManagementDeveloped and maintained by the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence, these are the premier guidelines for evidence synthesis in the fields environmental studies and natural resources.
Specific Types of Reviews
Evidence Maps / Evidence Gap Maps / Mapping Reviews
- [Word Doc] Campbell Collaboration checklist for evidence and gap maps: Conduct standardsCampbell Collaboration methods standards checklist for conducting an Evidence Gap Map [EGM]
Scoping Reviews
- JBI Scoping Review NetworkIncludes links to both the scoping review section of the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis and a protocol template.
- Scoping studies: towards a methodological frameworkRequires CSU network login to access.
Integrative Reviews
- A Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting an Integrative ReviewRequires CSU network login to access.
- Reviewing the methodology of an integrative reviewRequires CSU network login to access.
Rapid Reviews / Rapid Evidence Assessment
- Rapid Review Guidebook - Public HealthA guidebook to rapid reviews in public health and nursing from National Collaborating Centre of Methods and Tools (NCCMT) in Canada.
- Cochrane Rapid Reviews: Interim guidance form Cochrane Rapid Review Methods Group [pdf]Cochrane has a Rapid Reviews Methods Group that is working on a formal methodology guideline, but has released this document in the interim.
Realist Reviews and Meta-Narratives
- RAMSES Standards for Realist and Meta-Narrative ReviewsIncludes guidelines for the conduct, reporting, and quality assessment of realist reviews and meta-narratives.
Reporting Guidelines
You may have heard of the PRISMA guidelines. PRISMA stands for "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses," and is clearly a reporting guideline. As such, it is inaccurate to state that a project was conducted according to these guidelines.
The PRISMA guidelines and all PRISMA extensions are easiest to use by first consulting the checklist and then reviewing each checklist item against the 'explanations and elaborations' paper for examples of what to write and explanations of the necessary content.
- PRISMA - Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-AnalysesThe premier guidelines for reporting systematic reviews and other evidence synthesis are the PRISMA guidelines.
- PRISMA - Scoping ReviewsAn extension of the PRISMA guidelines for reporting of scoping reviews.
The explanations and examples can be found in the appendix of the Statement paper - PRISMA - ProtocolAn extension of the PRISMA guidelines specifically for reporting in the protocol for a systematic review.
- Best practice guidance and reporting items for the development of scoping review protocols - JBISpecific guidance from JBI for reporting in the protocol for a scoping review in alignment with PRISMA-Protocol guidelines.
- PRISMA - SearchingAn extension of the PRISMA guidelines specifically for reporting the search process transparently.
- EQUATOR NetworkA search of the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR Network) site for reporting guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
- Non-Interventional, Reproducible, and Open Systematic Review (NIRO-SR) guidelines"Guidelines for creating and pre-registering your protocol as well as writing your systematic review for non-interventional research."
- ROSES - RepOrting standards for Systematic Evidence SynthesesReporting guidelines from the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence.
- SWIM - Systematic Reviews without Meta-Analysis Reporting Guideline"Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) guideline has been developed to guide clear reporting in reviews of interventions in which alternative synthesis methods to meta-analysis of effect estimates are used."
Templates
CSU Libraries does not endorse the use of any specific templates; however, the following are a selection of work plans, search design, data management plan and protocol templates that can help you plan and write your evidence synthesis project.
Always check these against the appropriate methodology and reporting guidelines!
Protocol Templates
- Evidence Synthesis Protocol Template (extended)A template that precisely mimics the PRISMA-Protocol Guidelines, developed by the Libraries at Unity Health Toronto and adapted for CSU with explanation and resource links.
- Evidence Synthesis Protocol Template (basic)A broad, general template that is adaptable to many project types.
- Generalized Systematic Review Registration FormComprehensive template in Google Docs that reproduces the form used in OSFRegistries for systematic reviews and other evidence synthesis project protocols. More details and explanations of the form are available in OSF.
- JBI Scoping Review NetworkIncludes links to both the scoping review section of the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis and a protocol template.
Work Plan Template
- Evidence Synthesis Review: Work PlanUse this work plan to guide and document your project planning from conception through initial search design. This is not a replacement for a formal protocol.
This work plan was created by Elizabeth Yates, Kymberly Ash and Jessi Robinson under the terms of a CC-BY-SA-NC license. The search table content is based on a mining seed papers and search development template created by Alix Hayden and Zahra Premji, also licensed CC-BY-SA-NC-4.0. This work plan was altered by Anna Ferri and shared under a CC-BY-SA-NC license.
Documenting Search Design Templates
- Evidence Synthesis Search Design Documentation TemplateTemplate for documenting critical information on the design and conduct of searches for systematic reviews, scoping reviews and other evidence synthesis projects.
Data Management Plan for Systematic Reviews Template
- Data Management Plan Template: Systematic ReviewsUse the guide linked below to get further guidance in completing this template.
- Guide to the DMP Assistant Template for Systematic Review ProjectsGuide explaining how to complete the Data Management Plan Template: Systematic Reviews.
Project Management Planning, Timeline, and Checklist Templates
- Project Management Planning and Checklist TemplateThis template is adaptable to a wide variety of different evidence synthesis projects and team structures (including single person projects). Download and adapt it to your needs.
Get Expert Help
The CSU Libraries offers expert evidence synthesis project support for systematic reviews, scoping reviews, evidence maps, and more.
- Request a consultation on methods and process
- Request a search strategy review
- Request a classroom, lab group, or other small group training
- Attend a scheduled workshop
Library Help
Connect with library staff via chat, email, phone or text.