3.2.3.2 Developing protocols

The first stage in preparing a review is the development of a protocol that includes the following:  an introduction, objectives (including hypotheses to be tested), inclusion criteria, and methods (including the search strategy, comparisons, and specific sub-group analyses and their justification). The protocol is then refereed by the editorial team and external referees and revised as necessary before inclusion in The Cochrane Library. The editorial team can help authors by:

• encouraging authors to attend a protocol development workshop, organized by Cochrane Centres and editorial teams;
• providing examples of protocols already produced;
• helping to define the objectives and inclusion criteria for the reviews;
• assembling and maintaining a specialized register of trials as a service to members of the Group;
• helping with translations of articles potentially important to a review;
• obtaining rapid peer review of the protocol from individuals with specialist technical or subject expertise;
• giving the authors a deadline for the final protocol (usually six months).