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title: "4.2 Development of a protocol for a systematic review of effectiveness evidence"
canonical: "https://jbi-global-wiki.refined.site/space/MANUAL/355827999/4.2%20Development%20of%20a%20protocol%20for%20a%20systematic%20review%20of%20effectiveness%20evidence"
format: markdown
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An  a priori  systematic review protocol is important because it pre-defines the objectives and methods of the systematic review. A review protocol provides the plan or proposal for the systematic review. Any deviations from the review protocol should be discussed in the systematic review report.  The review protocol describes: the context and rationale for the review, including what is already known and uncertainties, the study selection criteria (inclusion/exclusion criteria), the outcome measures, interventions, and comparisons considered, the proposed search strategy for identifying relevant studies, the procedures for study selection, the critical appraisal process and instruments, the data extraction process and instruments, the process for resolving disagreement between reviewers in study selection,  data extraction, and critical appraisal decisions, and the proposed approaches to synthesis