PROSPERO

PROSPERO (Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) is an international database for the registration of systematic reviews in health and social care. It aims to promote transparency, reduce duplication of effort, and minimize reporting bias by allowing researchers to register their planned review protocol before completion. Records help researchers, funders, and policy makers understand what reviews are in progress and what evidence is being synthesized.

PROSPERO was established in 2011 by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York in the United Kingdom, with funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). It is a free, publicly accessible resource maintained by the CRD team and collaborators. Registration typically requires a protocol-level set of details, including the review question, eligibility criteria (participants, interventions, comparators, outcomes), the information sources, the planned search strategy, the study designs to include, and the methods for data extraction and synthesis. Each record is assigned a unique registration number and is updated as the review progresses.

Scope covers reviews relevant to health, public health, and social care, and may include protocols for umbrella reviews and rapid reviews. PROSPERO is widely used by researchers and is recommended by many journals and funders as a best practice to improve transparency and to help avoid duplication. Limitations include that it covers protocols rather than completed analyses, and that registration does not guarantee methodological quality. Access is free and the database is searchable by title, topic, or registration number.