Study protocols
Why publish study protocols?
- Keep researchers and funding bodies up-to-date in their fields
- Give exposure to research activity that otherwise may not get publicised
- Enable more collaboration in the research community
- Prevent unnecessary duplication of work
- Increase transparency by making more information available than required by trial registries
- Give others the opportunity to see and understand deviations that occur during the study
BMJ requires authors of clinical trials submitted as research articles to upload a protocol for their study as a supplementary file. This protocol will be published alongside other materials if the article is accepted.
If your protocol is for a randomised trial
We encourage authors to adhere to the SPIRIT recommendations.
The SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items for Randomized Trials) statement is an evidence-based tool developed through systematic review of a wide range of resources and consensus. It closely mirrors the CONSORT statement and reflects important ethical considerations.
If your protocol is for a systematic review or meta-analysis
We strongly encourage authors and assessors to use the PRISMA-P reporting guideline. The PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) checklist contains 17 items considered to be the essential and minimum components of systematic review or meta-analysis protocol. We recommend pre-registration of systematic reviews in registries that are based on the PRISMA-P reporting guideline and on the PROSPERO registration form.