5. Systematic map reporting


This session will detail how the final systematic map reports should be produced. Requirements of the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence and other major organisations and publishers will be outlined, along with the sections and level of detail necessary for any report. In a practical exercise, you'll work with ROSES forms for published systematic maps to consider what information should be reported and how.


Learning objectives


  • To understand what information should be reported in a systematic map
  • To appreciate the need for reporting standards and be aware of ROSES for systematic maps
  • To gain experience of completing and verifying information in systematic maps by using reporting forms

To begin, watch the following presentation.

You can find the lecture handouts here.



Practical exercise


In this exercise, you will spend some time working with published systematic map reports, examining how they have reported details about their methods using ROSES reporting forms.


This systematic map protocol was recently published on the topic of combining Indigenous knowledge with research knowledge in Canada:

Alexander, S.M., Provencher, J.F., Henri, D.A., Taylor, J.J. and Cooke, S.J., 2019. Bridging Indigenous and science-based knowledge in coastal-marine research, monitoring, and management in Canada: a systematic map protocol. Environmental Evidence, 8(1):15

Because it was published after the journal enforced the ROSES reporting standards, it was required to include a ROSES form for systematic map protocols as an additional file.

In this exercise you should find and download the ROSES form and scan over the author responses and comments. What can you tell from the ROSES form about the authors’ planned methods? Can you answer the following questions?

  • How many bibliographic databases do they plan to search?
  • How many grey literature resources do they plan to search?
  • What languages are they searching in/including in the map?

Do you spot anything that might be improved in the methods without reading the protocol, perhaps?

Now read through the protocol – is all the information present in the manuscript? Can you answer the following questions easily?

  • How were stakeholder involved in the map project development?
  • Which bibliographic databases do they plan to search?
  • Which grey literature resources do they plan to search?

Do the standardised headings and ROSES items help you to find the right information? Is anything missing?


Next, we will consider how stakeholder enagement activities may be specifically adapted to systematic mapping.


Move to the next module!