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Dissertation Subject Guide

including systematic reviews, literature reviews and scoping reviews

Writing your protocol

Be guided by the information provided in your module and the advice that you get from your tutors/lecturers.

Your protocol is clearly stating your research question and how you are carry out and complete your review. It demonstrates that you have successfully carried out scoping searches and that you understand the process involved in writing your dissertation.

You do not complete the dissertation search strategy etc for your protocol. Just explain how you are going to do it.

Useful guidance on conducting reviews

Look at these resources to help guide you in the process of systematic reviews:

 

Centre for Reviews and Dissemination [CRD] (2009) Systematic Reviews: CRD's guidance for undertaking reviews in health care. Available at: https://www.york.ac.uk/media/crd/Systematic_Reviews.pdf (Accessed: 28 July 2023)
Higgins, J. and Thomas, J. (eds.) (2022) Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Available at: https://training.cochrane.org/handbook/current (Accessed: 28 July 2023)

 

For scoping reviews, try:

Peters, M.D.J., Godfrey, C., McInerney, P., Munn, Z., Tricco, A.C. and Khalil, H. (2022) JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis: Chapter 11: Scoping Reviews. Available at: https://jbi-global-wiki.refined.site/space/MANUAL/4687342/Chapter+11%3A+Scoping+reviews (Accessed: 28 July 2023)

Key points to think about when writing your protocol

All information taken from Boland, Cherry and Dickson (2017, p. 56)

  • Results of scoping searches can help you to describe the quality and quantity of relevant evidence available
  • It is important to make a case for why your review question is important and needs to addressed
  • Clearly stated inclusion and exclusion criteria are essential to the completion of your review

Boland, A., Cherry, M. G. and Dickson, R. (2017) Doing a systematic review : a student’s guide. 2nd edn. Los Angeles: SAGE.

What your tutor is looking for in your protocol

All information taken from Boland, Cherry and Dickson (2017, p. 56)

  • Evidence of scoping searches
  • A well set out review question - this lets your tutor know that you have carefully considered the different components of the question
  • An explicit statement of your inclusion and exclusion criteria

Boland, A., Cherry, M. G. and Dickson, R. (2017) Doing a systematic review : a student’s guide. 2nd edn. Los Angeles: SAGE.