How to Register Your Systematic Review in PROSPERO

By Dr. Zubair Khalid, DVM, MS, PhD · 2026-08-27

Quick Answer

• Register your systematic review in PROSPERO before data extraction begins to establish a public record of your planned methods and reduce reporting bias.
• Prepare your full protocol details in advance, including search strategy, eligibility criteria, and data extraction plans, because the form requires specific field-by-field entries.
• Registration is free and open to researchers worldwide, but PROSPERO does not peer review or approve your methods, it only records your declared plan.

Understanding PROSPERO and Its Purpose

PROSPERO is an international database of prospectively registered systematic reviews in health and social care, welfare, public health, education, crime, justice, and international development. The database is funded by the National Institute for Health Research and managed by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York. Its primary function is to create a permanent public record of your review protocol before you begin the review process, which helps prevent duplication and reduces the risk of reporting bias.

The core principle behind prospective registration is transparency. When you register your systematic review before you start extracting data, you commit to a declared set of methods and outcomes. This commitment allows readers, editors, and other researchers to compare your final published review against your original plan. If you deviate from your registered protocol, you are expected to document and justify those changes in your final report.

For life science researchers, PROSPERO registration has become an expected practice in many fields. Journals increasingly require evidence of registration before they will consider a systematic review manuscript. Funding agencies may also look for registration as a marker of methodological rigor. The National Library of Medicine Research Methods Resources gateway provides access to authoritative biomedical books that describe systematic review methodology in detail, including the rationale for prospective registration.

The EQUATOR Network maintains a comprehensive library of reporting guidelines for health research. For systematic reviews, the PRISMA statement is the primary reporting guideline, and it explicitly asks authors to indicate whether and where their review was registered. The EQUATOR Network helps you identify which reporting guideline applies to your specific review type, whether you are conducting a meta-analysis, a scoping review, or a rapid review.

Eligibility Criteria for PROSPERO Registration

Before you begin the registration process, confirm that your review qualifies for PROSPERO. The database accepts systematic reviews that address questions relevant to health and social care. This includes reviews of interventions, diagnostic tests, prognostic factors, epidemiological associations, and qualitative evidence syntheses. The scope extends to public health, environmental health, and animal health when the findings have implications for human health or welfare.

PROSPERO does not accept reviews that are purely theoretical, methodological, or that do not involve a systematic search of the literature. Narrative reviews, scoping reviews, and rapid reviews may be eligible in some circumstances, but you should check the current PROSPERO guidance before submitting. The database also accepts reviews that are already underway, but earlier registration is strongly preferred because the value of registration diminishes once data extraction has begun.

Your review must have at least one identifiable author who takes responsibility for the registration. You do not need to be affiliated with a university or research institution to register. Independent researchers, clinicians, and students can all register their reviews. However, you must provide a valid email address and be prepared to respond to queries from the PROSPERO team about your registration.

Preparing Your Protocol Before Registration

The quality of your PROSPERO registration depends on the quality of your underlying protocol. A systematic review protocol is a detailed document that specifies your research question, search strategy, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data extraction methods, quality assessment approach, and synthesis plan. You should write this document before you begin the registration process, not during it.

Your protocol should follow established methodological guidance. The National Library of Medicine Research Methods Resources gateway links to authoritative texts on systematic review methodology that describe how to construct each element of a protocol. These texts emphasize that a protocol should be specific enough for another researcher to replicate your methods exactly.

Key elements to prepare in advance include:

• A clearly formulated research question using an appropriate framework such as PICO for intervention reviews or PEO for exposure-based questions
• A comprehensive search strategy for at least two major databases, with the full search strings documented
• Explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria that can be applied consistently
• A data extraction form that captures all relevant outcomes and study characteristics
• A risk of bias assessment tool appropriate for your study designs
• A synthesis plan that describes how you will combine or present the findings

The EQUATOR Network provides access to the PRISMA-P checklist, which is specifically designed for systematic review protocols. This checklist itemizes the recommended content for a protocol and can serve as a quality check before you submit your registration.

Creating Your ORCID Record

Before you register your review, ensure that you have an ORCID identifier. ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from other researchers with similar names. The ORCID for Researchers page explains how to create and maintain your ORCID record, including how to link your affiliations, funding, and publications.

PROSPERO registration forms ask for author information, and having an ORCID simplifies the process of identifying yourself and your co-authors accurately. Your ORCID record also helps other researchers find your registered reviews and connect them to your other research outputs. If you do not yet have an ORCID, create one before you begin the registration form. The process takes only a few minutes and requires a valid email address.

Keep your ORCID record current. If you change institutions or add new qualifications, update your record so that your PROSPERO registrations remain linked to your correct professional identity. This is particularly important for early-career researchers who may move between institutions during a review project.

Step-by-Step PROSPERO Registration Process

Accessing the Registration Portal

Navigate to the PROSPERO website and locate the registration link. The registration form is web-based and can be completed in multiple sessions, but you should aim to complete it in one sitting if possible. The form saves your progress, but you must use the same browser and device to return to a partially completed form.

Before you start, gather the following information:

• Full names and affiliations of all authors
• ORCID identifiers for each author
• Your complete protocol document
• The databases you plan to search
• Your inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Your planned synthesis methods

Completing the Administrative Fields

The first section of the form collects administrative information. This includes the title of your review, the named contact person, and the review team members. The title should be descriptive and include the population, intervention or exposure, comparator, and outcome if applicable. Avoid vague titles that do not convey the scope of your review.

You will be asked to specify the review question and any secondary questions. Write these in plain language that a non-specialist could understand, while maintaining scientific precision. The PROSPERO team uses this information to categorize your review and to help other researchers find it in the database.

Describing Your Search Strategy

The search strategy section requires you to specify the databases you will search, the dates covered, and any language restrictions. You should list all planned databases, including major biomedical databases such as MEDLINE and Embase, as well as subject-specific databases relevant to your topic. For life science reviews, you may also search Web of Science, Scopus, or field-specific databases.

You will need to describe your search approach, including whether you will search grey literature, clinical trial registries, or conference proceedings. The National Library of Medicine Research Methods Resources gateway provides guidance on comprehensive literature searching, including the use of controlled vocabularies such as MeSH terms and text-word searching.

Defining Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria section asks you to specify your inclusion and exclusion criteria. Be explicit about the study designs you will include, the population characteristics, the interventions or exposures of interest, and the outcomes you will extract. The criteria should be detailed enough that a reviewer could apply them without additional clarification.

Common mistakes in this section include criteria that are too broad, such as including all study designs without justification, or too narrow, such as excluding studies based on publication date without a clear rationale. Your criteria should flow logically from your research question and should be defensible in your final report.

Documenting Data Extraction and Quality Assessment

You must describe how you will extract data from included studies and how you will assess the risk of bias or methodological quality. Specify the data extraction form you will use, the number of reviewers who will extract data independently, and how disagreements will be resolved.

For quality assessment, name the specific tool you will use. Common tools include the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized trials, the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies, and QUADAS-2 for diagnostic accuracy studies. The EQUATOR Network can help you identify appropriate tools for your study designs.

Planning Your Synthesis

The synthesis section asks how you will combine and present your findings. If you plan to conduct a meta-analysis, describe the statistical methods you will use, including the effect measure, the model (fixed or random effects), and how you will assess heterogeneity. If you plan a narrative synthesis, describe how you will organize and present the findings thematically.

You should also describe any planned subgroup analyses or sensitivity analyses. These should be specified in advance to avoid the appearance of post-hoc analysis, which can undermine confidence in your findings.

Submitting and Managing Your Registration

After completing all required fields, submit your registration. The PROSPERO team will review your submission for completeness and may contact you with queries. Once accepted, your registration will be assigned a unique PROSPERO number, which you should cite in your final review and in any publications arising from the work.

You are expected to update your registration if your methods change during the review process. Significant changes, such as a revised search strategy or altered eligibility criteria, should be documented in the registration record. The Committee on Publication Ethics Core Practices emphasize the importance of transparent reporting and accurate records throughout the research process, and maintaining an accurate PROSPERO record is part of this responsibility.

At a Glance

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Registering Too Late

The most common mistake is registering after data extraction has already begun. PROSPERO is designed for prospective registration, and late registration undermines the purpose of the database. If you register after your review is substantially complete, the registration serves little purpose and may be rejected or marked as retrospective.

Plan to register as soon as your protocol is finalized and before you begin screening search results. This timing ensures that your registered plan reflects your actual methods and that you have not been influenced by the studies you have seen.

Incomplete Search Documentation

Many registrations fail because the search strategy is not described in sufficient detail. You should document the databases, the date ranges, the search terms, and any filters or limits you plan to apply. If you have already tested your search strategy, include the number of results retrieved from each database.

The National Library of Medicine Research Methods Resources gateway emphasizes that a systematic review search should be comprehensive and reproducible. Your PROSPERO registration should provide enough detail for another researcher to understand exactly what you plan to do.

Overly Broad Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility criteria that are too broad create problems during screening and data extraction. You may end up with a large number of heterogeneous studies that are difficult to synthesize meaningfully. Conversely, criteria that are too narrow may exclude relevant evidence and limit the generalizability of your findings.

Test your eligibility criteria against a sample of known studies in your field. If your criteria would exclude studies that you know are relevant, revise them before registration.

Ignoring Updates

Your registered protocol is not a static document. If your methods change during the review, you must update your PROSPERO record. This includes changes to your search strategy, eligibility criteria, or synthesis methods. The Committee on Publication Ethics Core Practices require researchers to maintain accurate records and to report deviations from planned methods transparently.

Failure to update your registration can lead to discrepancies between your registered plan and your final publication, which may raise questions about the integrity of your review.

Records and Documentation You Should Maintain

Maintain a complete file of all documents related to your systematic review, including your PROSPERO registration confirmation, your protocol, your search strategies, and your screening and extraction forms. This file serves as your audit trail and demonstrates that your review followed the methods you registered.

Your records should include:

• The date you submitted your PROSPERO registration
• The PROSPERO registration number
• Any correspondence with the PROSPERO team
• The full search strategies for each database
• Screening decisions for each record
• Data extraction forms for each included study
• Quality assessment scores or judgments
• Documentation of any protocol amendments

The National Institutes of Health Grants and Funding pages describe the expectations for rigorous research practices in NIH-funded projects, including the maintenance of accurate records. While PROSPERO registration is not an NIH requirement, the same principles of transparency and documentation apply to all systematic reviews.

Data Management and Sharing Considerations

Systematic reviews generate substantial data, including search results, screening decisions, and extracted data. The NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy describes expectations for managing and sharing research data. While this policy applies specifically to NIH-funded research, the principles are relevant to all systematic reviewers.

Plan how you will manage your review data before you begin. This includes deciding where you will store your data, how you will organize it, and whether you will share it publicly. Many journals now encourage or require authors to make their systematic review data available, including search strategies and extraction forms.

Your PROSPERO registration should include a statement about data availability if applicable. This statement tells readers where they can access your review data and under what conditions.

Quality Control Measures

Quality control in systematic reviews begins with the protocol and continues through every stage of the review process. Your PROSPERO registration is the first quality control checkpoint because it forces you to articulate your methods clearly and to commit to them publicly.

During the review process, implement quality control measures such as:

• Dual screening of titles and abstracts by two independent reviewers
• Dual data extraction with a process for resolving disagreements
• Regular team meetings to discuss screening and extraction issues
• Piloting your screening and extraction forms before full implementation
• Documenting all decisions and the rationale behind them

The EQUATOR Network provides access to reporting guidelines that help you ensure your final review is complete and transparent. Following the PRISMA guideline for your final report ensures that you report all essential elements, including your registration status.

Welfare and Safety Context

While PROSPERO registration itself does not involve animal welfare or human safety concerns, the systematic reviews you register may address these topics. If your review examines interventions or exposures related to animal welfare, occupational safety, or environmental health, your protocol should specify how you will assess these outcomes.

For reviews that include animal studies, consider whether your research question requires a focus on translational relevance to human health. The National Library of Medicine Research Methods Resources gateway includes guidance on systematic reviews of animal studies and the specific methodological challenges they present, including heterogeneity in study design and reporting quality.

If your review addresses a topic with safety implications, such as the effectiveness of a clinical intervention or the harms of an environmental exposure, your protocol should specify how you will capture adverse events or harms data. This information is critical for evidence-based decision making and should be reported transparently in your final review.

Professional Escalation Criteria

If you encounter problems during the PROSPERO registration process, escalate them appropriately. The following situations warrant professional escalation:

• If your registration is rejected and you do not understand the reason, contact the PROSPERO team for clarification
• If you discover that your registered protocol contains significant errors, update your registration immediately and document the changes
• If your review methods change substantially during the review process, update your registration and consider whether the changes require ethical approval
• If you suspect that another researcher has plagiarized your registered protocol, contact the Committee on Publication Ethics for guidance on handling research misconduct

For NIH-funded research, consult the NIH Grants and Funding pages for guidance on research integrity expectations and reporting requirements. Your program officer can provide advice on specific questions about research conduct.

Limitations of PROSPERO Registration

PROSPERO registration has important limitations that you should understand. First, registration does not guarantee methodological quality. The database records your declared plan, but it does not peer review or approve your methods. A poorly designed review can be registered, and a well-designed review can be poorly executed.

Second, PROSPERO does not cover all types of reviews. Scoping reviews, rapid reviews, and umbrella reviews may not be eligible, depending on the current PROSPERO policies. If your review type is not eligible, consider whether another registry is appropriate or whether you should publish your protocol in a journal that accepts protocol papers.

Third, registration does not prevent other researchers from conducting a similar review. The database helps reduce duplication by making planned reviews visible, but it does not create exclusive rights to a research question.

Fourth, the quality of your registration depends on the accuracy and completeness of the information you provide. If you omit important details or provide misleading information, your registration may not serve its intended purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to register my systematic review in PROSPERO before I start searching?

Yes, you should register before you begin data extraction. The purpose of PROSPERO is to create a public record of your planned methods before you are influenced by the studies you find. Register as soon as your protocol is finalized and before you start screening search results.

Is PROSPERO registration free?

Yes, PROSPERO registration is free for researchers worldwide. You do not need to pay a fee to register your systematic review, and there are no charges for updating your registration.

What happens after I submit my PROSPERO registration?

The PROSPERO team reviews your submission for completeness and may contact you with questions. Once accepted, your registration is assigned a unique PROSPERO number and becomes publicly visible in the database. You should cite this number in your final review and any related publications.

Can I update my PROSPERO registration if my methods change?

Yes, you should update your registration if your methods change during the review process. Significant changes, such as revised eligibility criteria or a new search strategy, should be documented in your registration record. The Committee on Publication Ethics Core Practices emphasize the importance of transparent reporting throughout the research process.

What information do I need to complete the PROSPERO form?

You need your full protocol, including your research question, search strategy, eligibility criteria, data extraction plan, quality assessment approach, and synthesis methods. You also need the names and affiliations of all authors and their ORCID identifiers.

Does PROSPERO approve or validate my systematic review methods?

No, PROSPERO does not peer review or approve your methods. It records your declared plan and makes it publicly available. The quality of your review depends on the rigor of your methods and the transparency of your reporting.

What should I do if my review is not eligible for PROSPERO?

If your review type is not eligible for PROSPERO, consider publishing your protocol in a journal that accepts protocol papers or using an alternative registry. The EQUATOR Network can help you identify appropriate reporting guidelines for your review type.

How does PROSPERO registration relate to NIH data management requirements?

The NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy describes expectations for managing and sharing research data. While PROSPERO registration is not an NIH requirement, the principles of transparency and documentation apply to all systematic reviews, including those funded by NIH.

Using the Evidence

Related Articles

• PROSPERO Registration for Meta-Analyses: Why and How to Register
• Protein Synthesis Step By Step
• Meta-Analysis vs Systematic Review: What's the Difference?
• Reproducible Research in R: A Practical Guide for Life Scientists
• Protein Synthesis: A Step-by-Step Guide to Transcription and Translation

References and Further Reading

• Research Methods Resources. National Library of Medicine.
• EQUATOR Network. EQUATOR Network.
• Core Practices. Committee on Publication Ethics.
• NIH Grants and Funding. National Institutes of Health.
• ORCID for Researchers. ORCID.
• Data Management and Sharing Policy. National Institutes of Health.
• NCBI Literature Resources. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
• PubMed. National Library of Medicine.

This article is educational and does not replace institutional policy, professional advice, or applicable safety and regulatory requirements.