Following 411 Cochrane protocols to completion: a retrospective cohort study

Ref ID	540
First Author	A. C. Tricco
Journal	PLOS ONE
Year Of Publishing	2008
URL	https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18997866/
Keywords	• General medical • Currency • Cochrane • Protocols
Problem(s)	• Unpublished or "zombie" reviews (the file-drawer effect) • Not updated regularly
Number of systematic reviews included	372
Summary of Findings	19.1% of protocols were not published as full Cochrane reviews by 2008. 80.9% were published in full. Reasons for non-completion included: no reason provided (14.1%), protocol withdrawn due to out-datedness (12.7%), Cochrane review authors lacked time or interest (9.9%), and operational issues (e.g., the lead author changed jobs). Of those completed, only 33.2% had been subsequently updated.
Did the article find that the problem(s) led to qualitative changes in interpretation of the results?	N/A
Are the methods of the article described in enough detail to replicate the study?	Yes