The steps in producing a Campbell systematic review are:
- Title registration
- Developing a protocol (project plan)
- Undertaking the systematic review
- Publishing the review
Guidelines and resources for review production can be found in our Resource Center.
Working together
The Campbell Collaboration is a dynamic worldwide network of scholars and practitioners who are interested in stimulating evidence-based policy and practice.
The production of a systematic review is a truly collaborative effort. Reviews are always produced by review teams, bringing together methodological and content expertise, often supported by input from users (policy makers, practitioner and clients). Relevant methodological expertise includes: information/library science (searching and text retrieval), knowledge of primary research designs and methods, data management, and meta-analysis.
Campbell's editorial process and peer-review system
Campbell's proven editorial process and peer-review system provides authors with advice and skilled assistance in research design, statistical analysis and searching, as well as substantive expertise.
The staff (Editors, Trial Search Coordinators, and Coordinators) of each Coordinating Group provide authors with assistance in planning and executing systematic reviews.
The Campbell Library of Systematic Reviews
Campbell reviews are published in the Campbell Library of Systematic Reviews, and are freely accessible online. Campbell systematic reviews can be updated as further relevant information emerges.
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Title Proposal
The first step towards producing a systematic review is to register a title.
Title registration helps avoid duplication of effort. It also helps the review team to clearly define the questions and objectives that will guide the review, to identify areas in which the team has expertise, as well as those in which technical assistance from Campbell would be useful.
If you are considering undertaking a Campbell review, you should first contact the appropriate Coordinating Group (i.e. Education, Social Welfare, Crime and Justice).
A title registration form must be completed and approved in order to register a title.
See flowchart of the Title Proposal work process below:
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Click on image to see full size.
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Protocol
Once a title has been approved and registered, the next stage is to develop a review protocol. The protocol is essentially a project plan.
The Campbell Collaboration provides the author with guidelines on how to prepare a protocol. The draft protocol is subject to editorial and peer review prior to approval. Approved protocols are published in the Campbell Library of Systematic Reviews.
A protocol for a Campbell review should consist of the following sections:
1. Cover sheet
2. Background for the review
3. Objectives of the review/ The review question
4. Methods of the review
5. Timeframe
6. Plans for updating the review
7. Acknowledgements
8. Statement concerning conflict of interest
9. References
10. Tables
See flowchart of the Protocol Registration work process below:
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Click on image to see full size.
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Review
Once the protocol (project plan) has been approved, the review team will have clear guidelines for the conduct of their systematic review. The Campbell Collaboration strives for an editorial process of high quality and genuine value to the authors.
The authors' draft review is submitted for editorial and peer review. Campbell's Coordinating Group editors give feedback in the form of an Action Letter, in which all comments are integrated and clear instructions are provided about the next steps. The authors then revise and resubmit the draft review. Approval of the review rests with the respective Coordinating Group Co-chairs.
On approval, reviews are published in The Campbell Library of Systematic Reviews, and may be published elsewhere.
Campbell Collaboration reviews can be co-registered and co-published with different Campbell Coordinating Groups, and also with Cochrane review groups.
Methods Policy Briefs
The Campbell Collaboration has adopted a number of Methods Policy Briefs which provide specific guidance for authors, reviewers, and consumers on the topics of research design, information retrieval, statistical analysis, and economic methods.
Guidelines and resources for review production can be found in our Resource Center.
See flowchart of the Systematic Review work process below:
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Click on image to see full size.
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Publishing and updates
Publishing
On approval, reviews are published in The Campbell Library of Systematic Reviews, and may be published elsewhere.
The Campbell Library provides free online access to the full text of our systematic reviews in the areas of education, criminal justice and social welfare. The library is a peer-reviewed source of reliable evidence of the effects of interventions.
Updates
Campbell systematic reviews should be updated as relevant information emerges, and amended in the light of criticisms and advances in methodology.
User Abstracts
Research results can often be difficult to interpret for people outside the research community. As a result, the Campbell Users Group has developed a standard template for producing user friendly summaries of Campbell systematic reviews. These User Abstracts summarise our reviews in a way that makes the findings easily accessible and usable for policy makers, practitioners and users.