Part 2: Planning and Protocol Development
by Shemsedin Amme
This module equips trainees with the knowledge and skills required to plan a systematic review systematically and transparently. It walks through formulating a focused, answerable review question using standard frameworks (PICO, PECO, PICo, SPIDER), defining eligibility criteria, and validating the question through scoping searches. Trainees learn to develop a complete systematic review protocol, register it on internationally recognized registries (PROSPERO, OSF, Cochrane), and manage protocol amendments transparently. The module further develops the trainees' ability to design comprehensive search strategies, translate them across multiple databases, document searches in accordance with PRISMA-S, and design and pilot data extraction forms. It also covers reference management, deduplication, and quality control in the study import process.