Novel methods to improve reporting and peer review of systematic reviews of health evidence

Incomplete reporting of systematic reviews prevents users of the report from being able to fully interpret the findings and understand the limitations of the underlying evidence. Reporting guidelines such as the PRISMA 2020 statement are designed to ensure that reports of systematic reviews are reported accurately, completely and transparently. However, more work needs to be done to realise this goal. We have received NHMRC funding to develop and evaluate web applications to enable more efficient and effective translation of PRISMA reporting guidelines into practice – the ‘PRISMA, Technology, and Implementation to enhance reporting Completeness’ (PRISMATIC) project. We are seeking doctoral student(s) to contribute to PRISMATIC and projects arising from this research. Possible projects include: (1) determine how adherence to PRISMA has previously been assessed and develop a standardised PRISMA adherence assessment form for use in future meta-research evaluations; (2) map the types of systematic reviews being published against the PRISMA extensions currently available to determine which future extensions need to be prioritised; and (3) evaluate the impact of a web application that streamlines the process of reporting systematic reviews (PRISMA-Web) on authors’ reporting. Candidates would need to obtain a scholarship through Monash University (Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend or Monash Graduate Scholarship, valued at $35,013 p.a (2024 rate)). To be competitive for this scholarship, you would need a first-class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant field (e.g. epidemiology, biostatistics, health sciences, psychology or social sciences) and at least one first-author publication in a Q1-ranked journal in Scimago. The closing date for scholarship applications is 4 April 2024 for international students and 31 May 2024 for domestic students. Information about the application process can be found here: https://www.monash.edu/graduate-research/study/apply About the supervisory team: Successful applicants will be supervised by Dr Matthew Page, Professor Joanne McKenzie and Dr Daniel Hamilton. Dr Page and Prof McKenzie co-led the development of the PRISMA 2020 statement for systematic reviews and lead the Methods in Evidence Synthesis Unit at Monash. Dr Hamilton is a postdoctoral fellow working on the PRISMATIC project.