What is PRISMA?

Are you undertaking your dissertation or a major piece of research?

Looking for a diagram/flowchart to evidence your search strategy?

PRISMA is a recognised tool designed to improve the quality of reporting primary systematic and meta-analyses. A common question to the Academic Librarian team is “What is PRISMA and how do I complete the flowchart?”

PRISMA stands for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Originally the guidance began life in 1999 as the QUORUM statement (Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses. Due to advances in the science of systematic reviews the guideline was developed in 2009 and renamed PRISMA. It compromises of a checklist and a flowchart and whilst designed to be used as a method for reporting systematic reviews and meta analyses it can be used for other types of reviews. The guidance is essentially a template you can follow.

If you need help completing your PRISMA flowchart use our step by step help guide available at www.gcu.ac.uk/library/pilot/searching/writingupyoursearchstrategy

Researchers can find out more detailed information on PRISMA including the 27 point checklist via the website at www.prisma-statement.org/

For more history, background and detailed information on using PRISMA the following articles are helpful:

• BMJ (OPEN ACCESS) Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. BMJ 2009;339:b2535, doi: 10.1136/bmj.b2535
• BMJ (OPEN ACCESS) Liberati A, Altman DG, Tetzlaff J, Mulrow C, Gøtzsche PC, et al. (2009) The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration. BMJ 2009;339:b2700, doi: 10.1136/bmj.b2700​