How to register a systematic review on PROSPERO
Short answer
Write a protocol first, then register it on PROSPERO, the international prospective register of systematic reviews, as early as possible and ideally before you start screening search results. The form asks for the review question, searches, eligibility criteria, outcomes, risk-of-bias and synthesis methods. Keep the record up to date with amendments, and cite the registration number in your paper.
Step by step
- 1
Check that your review is eligible
PROSPERO registers systematic reviews with a health-related outcome. It does not accept scoping reviews, which can be registered elsewhere, for example on the Open Science Framework. Check the current inclusion criteria on the PROSPERO website before you start.
- 2
Write the protocol
Draft a full protocol following PRISMA-P: the question in PICO form, the databases and search approach, eligibility criteria, primary and secondary outcomes, data extraction, risk-of-bias assessment and the planned synthesis, including subgroup and sensitivity analyses.
- 3
Register early
Register before you start screening search results against your eligibility criteria if you can. PROSPERO will not register reviews that are too far advanced; check the site for the current cut-off before you submit.
- 4
Complete the registration form
Transfer the protocol into the form field by field. Be specific: name the databases, the outcomes and their time points, the risk-of-bias tool and the effect measures. Vague entries reduce the value of registration, which exists to make changes and selective reporting visible.
- 5
Submit and respond to queries
The PROSPERO team checks submissions against its criteria and may ask for clarifications before publishing the record and issuing a registration number (beginning with CRD).
- 6
Keep the record up to date
If the methods change, amend the record and explain why. PROSPERO keeps a public history of versions. When the review is published, update the status and cite the registration number in the methods section of the paper.
Why registration matters
A public, dated protocol lets readers compare what you planned with what you did. It makes changes to outcomes or analyses visible, helps other teams avoid unplanned duplication of reviews on the same question, and is one of the signals editors and peer reviewers look for when judging a systematic review.
How Prolytiq does this step
Prolytiq does not submit to PROSPERO; registration is done on the PROSPERO website. What it helps with is the content the form asks for: the PICOTT question, the eligibility criteria and the database search strategies you define in your project are the same pieces you transfer into the registration.
See the workflow →Frequently asked questions
Is registration on PROSPERO mandatory?
Not universally, but PRISMA 2020 asks reviewers to report registration information, and many journals expect or require prospective registration of systematic reviews.
Can I register a review after I have started?
Only within PROSPERO's limits on how far the review may have progressed. Register as early as possible, and check the current rules on the PROSPERO website.
Do Cochrane reviews need separate registration?
Cochrane protocols are published in the Cochrane Library; check the current Cochrane and PROSPERO guidance on how the two relate before registering separately.
Methodological sources
- PROSPERO: International prospective register of systematic reviews, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York
- PRISMA-P 2015: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (Moher et al., Systematic Reviews 2015; Shamseer et al., BMJ 2015)
- PRISMA 2020 statement (Page et al., BMJ 2021)
Run your next systematic review in Prolytiq
From research question to publishable chart, with every decision logged and exportable for peer review.