Protocol checklist

This protocol checklist tool serves to help ensure all necessary information in the project proposal form is included. When planning your project use this checklist to see what information we require. This will streamline the process of entering the required details to the “propose your project” form when you are ready to submit

Download Checklist as PDF

Project Information

Project title

Abstract

The form requires an abstract of no more than 250 words

Research question

The form requires you to state your primary research question(s)

Mandatory Requirements

Update frequency of your living meta-analysis

AMORE's standardized framework allows a maximum time between updates of 24 months. In the "propose your project" form, you must specify your planned update frequency for your living meta-analysis.

Preregistration plan

AMORE's standardized framework requires your living meta-analysis to be preregistered to a recognized repository. In the "propose your project" form, you must specify what recognised platform you will preregister to or provide an existing registration link.

Preprint plan

AMORE's standardized framework requires initial results to be published to a recognized preprint server. In the "propose your project" form, researchers are required to describe their plan to publish the initial results to a recognized preprint server.

Guidelines adherence

AMORE's standardized framework requires adherence to recognized reporting guidelines. In the "propose your project" form, you must specify which reporting guidelines (e.g., PRISMA, MOOSE, MARS, or others) your meta-analysis will follow.

Data repository plan

AMORE's standardized framework requires meta-analysis data to be stored in a recognized repository. In the "propose your project" form, you must specify which repository (e.g., Open Science Framework, Zenodo) you will use to store your meta-analysis data.

Analysis software and repository

AMORE's standardized framework requires the use of free software for analyses, and for the analyses scripts to be deposited in a recognised repository. In the "propose your project" form, you must specify which free software you will use for your meta-analysis and specify which repository.

Deviation reporting

AMORE's standardized framework require reporting any deviations from the preregistered protocol. In the "propose your project" form, you must indicate whether you will provide a deviation report with your meta-analysis manuscript.

Recommended Practices

Addressing accumulation bias

Living meta-analyses introduce the issue of multiple testing and increased type 1 error. In the "propose your project" form, you must indicate whether you plan to address this issue if using a frequentist framework.

Effect determination with Bayes Factor

For Bayesian meta-analyses, AMORE recommends a Bayes factor of 10 to conclude the presence or absence of an effect. In the "propose your project" form, please specify the Bayes factor you will use to determine the presence or absence of an effect if you are performing a bayesian meta-analyses.

Null hypothesis evaluation

AMORE recognizes that evaluating evidence for a null hypothesis is critical for falsifying hypotheses. In the "propose your project" form, please specify if and how you plan to evaluate evidence for a null hypothesis if performing a frequentist meta-analysis.

Visualizations

Visualization can enhance understanding of meta-analysis results. In the "propose your project" form, you may describe which visualizations (e.g., funnel plots, forest plots, others) you plan to include in your meta-analysis.