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Introduction Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) inform healthcare decisions. It is now apparent that some published RCTs contain false data and some appear to have been entirely fabricated. Systematic reviews are performed to identify and synthesise all RCTs that have been conducted on a given topic. While it is usual to assess methodological features of the RCTs in the process of undertaking a systematic review, it is not usual to consider whether the RCTs contain false data. Studies containing false data therefore go unnoticed and contribute to systematic review conclusions. The INveStigating ProblEmatic Clinical Trials in Systematic Reviews (INSPECT-SR) project will develop a tool to assess the trustworthiness of RCTs in systematic reviews of healthcare-related interventions.Methods and analysis The INSPECT-SR tool will be developed using expert consensus in combination with empirical evidence, over five stages: (1) a survey of experts to assemble a comprehensive list of checks for detecting problematic RCTs, (2) an evaluation of the feasibility and impact of applying the checks to systematic reviews, (3) a Delphi survey to determine which of the checks are supported by expert consensus, culminating in, (4) a consensus meeting to select checks to be included in a draft tool and to determine its format and (5) prospective testing of the draft tool in the production of new health systematic reviews, to allow refinement based on user feedback. We anticipate that the INSPECT-SR tool will help researchers to identify problematic studies and will help patients by protecting them from the influence of false data on their healthcare.Ethics and dissemination The University of Manchester ethics decision tool was used, and this returned the result that ethical approval was not required for this project (30 September 2022), which incorporates secondary research and surveys of professionals about subjects relating to their expertise. Informed consent will be obtained from all survey participants. All results will be published as open-access articles. The final tool will be made freely available.

Background: Core outcome sets (COS) represent agreed-upon minimum outcomes that should be reported in all studies in a given topic area. Cochrane reviews are considered among the most rigorously conducted systematic reviews (SRs). In 2019, seven of the first 100 published Cochrane SRs (7%) cited a COS in relation to choosing outcomes. A relevant COS existed but was not mentioned (or cited) for 27 of the remaining 93 SRs (29%). Among Cochrane Review Group editors surveyed in 2019, 86% felt that COS should definitely/possibly be used in Cochrane SRs. As of September 2019, the Cochrane Handbook recommends that SR teams consult resources that host relevant COS when choosing outcomes for the SR. Objectives: (1) Examine the extent to which authors are currently considering COS to inform outcome choice in Cochrane protocols and completed SRs. (2) Understand author barriers and facilitators of using COS in Cochrane protocols and completed SRs. Methods: We will examine the extent to which all Cochrane SRs published in the last 3 months of 2022 and all Cochrane protocols published in 2022: (a) cited a COS, (b) searched for COS, and (c) reported outcome inconsistency among included studies and/or noted the need for COS. One investigator will extract information from SRs and protocols; a second extractor will verify all information, discussing discrepancies to achieve consensus. Using Jisc Online Surveys®, we will conduct an online survey of authors of all the included completed SRs and protocols to assess author awareness of COS and identify barriers and facilitators of using COS to inform outcome choice. Discussion: This study will provide key information regarding uptake of COS by Cochrane SR authors and the barriers and facilitators that they experience. Our findings will inform approaches to increasing awareness and uptake of COS in future SRs, both within and beyond Cochrane.

Systematic review (SR) is a rigorous, protocol-driven approach designed to minimise error and bias when summarising the body of research evidence relevant to a specific scientific question. Taking as a comparator the use of SR in synthesising research in healthcare, we argue that SR methods could also pave the way for a “step change” in the transparency, objectivity and communication of chemical risk assessments (CRA) in Europe and elsewhere. We suggest that current controversies around the safety of certain chemicals are partly due to limitations in current CRA procedures which have contributed to ambiguity about the health risks posed by these substances. We present an overview of how SR methods can be applied to the assessment of risks from chemicals, and indicate how challenges in adapting SR methods from healthcare research to the CRA context might be overcome. Regarding the latter, we report the outcomes from a workshop exploring how to increase uptake of SR methods, attended by experts representing a wide range of fields related to chemical toxicology, risk analysis and SR. Priorities which were identified include: the conduct of CRA-focused prototype SRs; the development of a recognised standard of reporting and conduct for SRs in toxicology and CRA; and establishing a network to facilitate research, communication and training in SR methods. We see this paper as a milestone in the creation of a research climate that fosters communication between experts in CRA and SR and facilitates wider uptake of SR methods into CRA. Keywords: Risk assessment, Research synthesis, Environment, Chemicals, Systematic review, Toxicology

Elaine Beller and colleagues from the PRISMA for Abstracts group provide a reporting guidelines for reporting abstracts of systematic reviews in journals and at conferences.

Background: Core outcome sets (COS) represent agreed-upon minimum outcomes that should be reported in all studies in a given topic area. Cochrane reviews are considered among the most rigorously conducted systematic reviews (SRs). In 2019, seven of the first 100 published Cochrane SRs (7%) cited a COS in relation to choosing outcomes. A relevant COS existed but was not mentioned (or cited) for 27 of the remaining 93 SRs (29%). Among Cochrane Review Group editors surveyed in 2019, 86% felt that COS should definitely/possibly be used in Cochrane SRs. As of September 2019, the Cochrane Handbook recommends that SR teams consult resources that host relevant COS when choosing outcomes for the SR. Objectives: (1) Examine the extent to which authors are currently considering COS to inform outcome choice in Cochrane protocols and completed SRs. (2) Understand author barriers and facilitators of using COS in Cochrane protocols and completed SRs. Methods: We will examine the extent to which all Cochrane SRs published in the last 3 months of 2022 and all Cochrane protocols published in 2022: (a) cited a COS, (b) searched for COS, and (c) reported outcome inconsistency among included studies and/or noted the need for COS. One investigator will extract information from SRs and protocols; a second extractor will verify all information, discussing discrepancies to achieve consensus. Using Jisc Online Surveys ®, we will conduct an online survey of authors of all the included completed SRs and protocols to assess author awareness of COS and identify barriers and facilitators of using COS to inform outcome choice. Discussion: This study will provide key information regarding uptake of COS by Cochrane SR authors and the barriers and facilitators that they experience. Our findings will inform approaches to increasing awareness and uptake of COS in future SRs, both within and beyond Cochrane.

Background: Core outcome sets (COS) represent agreed-upon minimum outcomes that should be reported in all studies in a given topic area. Cochrane reviews are considered among the most rigorously conducted systematic reviews (SRs). In 2019, seven of the first 100 published Cochrane SRs (7%) cited a COS in relation to choosing outcomes. A relevant COS existed but was not mentioned (or cited) for 27 of the remaining 93 SRs (29%). Among Cochrane Review Group editors surveyed in 2019, 86% felt that COS should definitely/possibly be used in Cochrane SRs. As of September 2019, the Cochrane Handbook recommends that SR teams consult resources that host relevant COS when choosing outcomes for the SR. Objectives: (1) Examine the extent to which authors are currently considering COS to inform outcome choice in Cochrane protocols and completed SRs. (2) Understand author barriers and facilitators of using COS in Cochrane protocols and completed SRs. Methods: We will examine the extent to which all Cochrane SRs published in the last 3 months of 2022 and all Cochrane protocols published in 2022: (a) cited a COS, (b) searched for COS, and (c) reported outcome inconsistency among included studies and/or noted the need for COS. One investigator will extract information from SRs and protocols; a second extractor will verify all information, discussing discrepancies to achieve consensus. Using Jisc Online Surveys®, we will conduct an online anonymous survey of authors of all the included completed SRs and protocols to assess author awareness of COS and identify barriers and facilitators of using COS to inform outcome choice. Discussion: This study will provide key information regarding uptake of COS by Cochrane SR authors and the barriers and facilitators that they experience. Our findings will inform approaches to increasing awareness and uptake of COS in future SRs, both with and beyond Cochrane.