Guide for Developing a Cochrane Protocol - Cochrane Public Health ...

Table of contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................. - 2 -
GETTING STARTED................................................................................................................................................. - 3 -
FILLING OUT THE PROTOCOL TEMPLATE ............................................................................................................... - 4 -
BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................................................... - 4 -
Description of the condition .......................................................................................................................... - 4 -
Description of the intervention ...................................................................................................................... - 4 -
How the intervention might work .................................................................................................................. - 4 -
Why it is important to do this review ............................................................................................................. - 5 -
OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................................... - 6 -
Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... - 6 -
METHODS ............................................................................................................................................................ - 6 -
Criteria for considering studies for this review ............................................................................................... - 6 -
Types of studies ............................................................................................................................................ - 6 -
Types of participants..................................................................................................................................... - 7 -
Types of interventions ................................................................................................................................... - 7 -
Types of outcome measures .......................................................................................................................... - 7 -
SEARCH METHODS ................................................................................................................................................. - 9 -
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................. - 10 -
Selection of studies ..................................................................................................................................... - 10 -
Data extraction and management .............................................................................................................. - 10 -
Assessment of risk of bias in included studies .............................................................................................. - 12 -
Measures of treatment effect ..................................................................................................................... - 13 -
Unit of analysis issues ................................................................................................................................. - 14 -
Dealing with missing data ........................................................................................................................... - 14 -
Assessment of heterogeneity ...................................................................................................................... - 15 -
Assessment of reporting biases ................................................................................................................... - 15 -
Data synthesis ............................................................................................................................................ - 16 -
Subgroup analysis and investigation of heterogeneity ................................................................................. - 17 -
Sensitivity analysis ...................................................................................................................................... - 17 -
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................................... - 17 -
CONTRIBUTIONS OF AUTHORS ................................................................................................................................. - 18 -
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST ............................................................................................................................ - 18 -
REFERENCES - OTHER REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... - 18 -
Additional references .................................................................................................................................. - 18 -
Other published versions of the review ........................................................................................................ - 19 -
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................................... - 20 -
APPENDIX 1 – GUIDANCE FOR ESTABLISHING A REVIEW ADVISORY GROUP ....................................................... - 21 -
APPENDIX 2 - PUBLIC HEALTH GROUP EDITORIAL PROCESS ................................................................................ - 24 -
APPENDIX 3 – RISK OF BIAS ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................... - 26 -
APPENDIX 4 – DATA EXTRACTION AND ASSESSMENT FORM ............................................................................... - 29 -
APPENDIX 5 – CHECKLIST FOR SUBMISSION ........................................................................................................ - 48 -
Last updated: 24 November 2011 - 2 -