Systematic Reviews: Planning

Add the following search terms for systematic reviews at article databases or Google Scholar and connect a subject keyword using the Boolean operator AND. 

E.g., systematic reviews on the use of the Internet for the prevention of binge drinking among college students

College students AND "binge drinking" AND ("systematic review" OR "systematic literature review" OR "systematic scoping review" OR "systematic narrative review" OR "systematic qualitative review" OR "systematic evidence review" OR "systematic quantitative review" OR "systematic meta-review" OR "systematic critical review" OR "systematic mixed studies review" OR "systematic mapping review" OR "systematic Cochrane review" OR "systematic search and review" OR "systematic integrative review") 

• PROSPERO 

  International prospective register of systematic reviews. Register protocol here

• Cochrane Library: Proposing and registering new Cochrane Reviews

• Campbell Collaboration 
  Access the database from the library website. In the Campbell Systematic Reviews module, click on the Browse tab on the top, then click on Campbell Registered Titles. 

• OSF Registries 
  The Open Science Framework's (OSF) accessible and multidisciplinary repository of preregistrations and registrations for experimental science research

• PRISMA for Systematic Review Protocols (PRISMA-P)
  • Developed in 2015, PRISMA-P aims to facilitate the creation and registration of protocols for systematic reviews.
• PRSIMA-Scr
  • PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews published in Annals of Internal Medicine. See the Appendix under Methods for details about Protocol and Registration.
• Finding what works in health care: standards for systematic reviews
  • Download the free eBook first. See Standard 2.6 Develop a systematic review protocol.
• Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews (6)
  • See Chapter 2 for how to write a Cochrane Protocol.
• Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers Manual
  • See Section 5.4 for how to develop a JBI protocol.
• How to write a scoping review protocol: Guidance and template
  • Developed in 2023, this guidance is intended to serve as an educational tool for those developing scoping review protocols and includes a protocol template and published examples.
• Evidence Synthesis Protocol Template
  • Word document of a protocol template based on the PRISMA Statement extensions for systematic review protocols, scoping reviews, and materials developed by The Campbell Collaboration.

Systematic Review Accelerator 

• The IEBH SR-Accelerator is a suite of tools to speed up steps in the Systematic Review (SR) process by providing a way to translate a search string created in one database into a new string that can be used in another database—free registration is required. The SRA is a modular design, which means the tools can be incorporated into existing SR workflows and combined with other automation tools. It works with the EndNote program.  See the tutorial video here. 

PubMed PubReMiner 

• PubReMiner will query PubMed with your specified search query, get all abstracts, and generate frequency tables.

Yale MeSH Analyzer 

• The MeSH analysis grid of the Yale MeSH Analyzer is a user-friendly tool that can help you identify the problems in your search strategy. It presents the ways articles are indexed in the MEDLINE database in an easy-to-scan tabular format. Simply search an article at PubMed, then use the PMID to run the Yale MeSH Analyzer.

• Covidence 
  • Free access with unlimited reviews for FSU community members
  • FSU community members can invite external reviewers
  • To access: 1) Create a Covidence account with your @med.fsu.edu or @fsu.edu email; 2) Request an invitation to join FSU's institutional subscription. 
  • Tutorial
• EndNote
  • Log into EndNote Web, find out more, or register for an account
• Mendeley

  • Mendeley LibGuide
    Create a Free Mendeley Account

• Zotero 

  • Zotero LibGuide 

  • Get Zotero

Use Interlibrary Loan to request journal articles not available online for FSU users. 
Use LEDS  to request print journal articles available in FSU library collection (Faculty & Graduate Students only).
If you have multiple requests of Interlibrary Loan for your systematic review project, please contact Velma Smith, ILL Librarian, for consultation.