Registering a Protocol on PROSPERO: Fields Most Frequently Returned for Revision

Registration requires completion of the required sections of the current PROSPERO registration form, including the review question, eligibility criteria and planned methods. The fields that most often require revision before a registration is accepted are the eligibility criteria, which must be specific and unambiguous rather than a general description of the topic; the search-strategy field, which requires substantive detail rather than a placeholder; and the anticipated start and completion dates, which must be realistic and consistent with the actual status of the review.

Specifying eligibility criteria

PROSPERO expects specific, operational inclusion and exclusion criteria — defined population, intervention/exposure, comparator, and outcome parameters — not a general topic statement. A vague entry in this field (such as a restatement of the review’s title rather than its actual eligibility rules) is among the entries most commonly returned for further detail before registration is finalised.

Completing the search-strategy field

This field expects a genuine description of the planned search — databases to be searched, key search concepts, and planned limits — rather than a placeholder statement that a search “will be conducted”. Because PROSPERO registration takes place before or very early in the search process, this field describes the plan, but that plan must be genuine and detailed rather than deferred.

Anticipated start and completion dates

PROSPERO requests the review’s start date and anticipated completion date, and these must be consistent with the review’s actual current status: a registration submitted well after the search has been run, with a start date predating that search, may attract scrutiny, since the core purpose of the registry is prospective, namely recording the protocol before the review’s results are known.

Video walkthrough

A narrated video filling in a real PROSPERO registration form field by field, with the reasoning behind each entry, is in production and will be added above once complete.

Key points

Practical application

Frequently asked questions

@misc{registering_a_protocol_on_prospero_guide_2026,
  author       = {{Pubrica Academy}},
  title        = {Registering a Protocol on PROSPERO: Fields Most Frequently Returned for Revision},
  howpublished = {Pubrica},
  year         = {2026},
  month        = {oct},
  url          = {https://pubrica.com/academy/video-guides/registering-a-protocol-on-prospero-guide/},
  note         = {Accessed: <span data-cite-acc="iso">2026-10-15</span>}
}

[ ] Eligibility criteria: specific, operational population/intervention/comparator/outcome parameters, not a topic restatement
[ ] Search strategy field: real planned detail (databases, key concepts), not a placeholder statement
[ ] Start date and anticipated completion date: internally consistent with current review status
[ ] All required sections of the current registration form completed with substantive content