Open access publisher BioMed Central (BMC) has launched a new journal, called Systematic Reviews, encompassing all aspects of the design, conduct and reporting of systematic reviews. The journal's mission is to publish high quality systematic reviews related to a broad definition of health, rapid reviews, and methods research related to the science of evidence synthesis including decision modeling. The journal is now accepting submissions.
The journal aims to increase transparency in systematic review reporting and to encourage innovation in publishing systematic reviews. Systematic Reviews will, for example, publish systematic review protocols, and these will usually be published without peer review if the study has received a grant from a major funding body and is registered with the PROSPERO database. It will also publish, as stand-alone publications, updates to previously published systematic reviews. These updates will reconsider and bring previously published systematic reviews up to date and allow authors to present changes to systematic reviews while avoiding unwarranted duplication in the literature. The journal will operate an open peer review system.
By recommending the use of reporting guidelines for health research, such as the PRISMA statement, and encouraging their use – by authors, editors and peer reviewers – the journal hopes to improve the quality of reporting of systematic reviews.
The journal is edited by Dr. David Moher (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and first author of the PRISMA statement), Prof. Lesley Stewart (Director of the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination University of York) and Dr. Paul Shekelle (Director, Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center, RAND Corporation), who are supported by an international editorial board.
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