12.2.3 Introducción

Emphasis should be placed on developing a clear and meaningful introduction section for the systematic review protocol, which is comprehensive and covers all the main elements of the topic under review. The introduction should aim to situate the context of the review for an international readership and key terms important to the topic of interest should be clearly defined. The information in the introduction section must also be sufficient to put the inclusion criteria into context. Where possible, refer to existing international literature to support and inform the inclusion criteria. In addition, the introduction section should provide justification for the conduct of the review and indicate how the proposed review will make a unique and important contribution. The suggested length for the introduction section of the review protocol is approximately 1000 words.

The introduction section should include a statement that a preliminary search for existing systematic reviews on the topic has been conducted (state the databases searched e.g. Cochrane Library, JBI Evidence Synthesis, COSMIN Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed, and PROSPERO). If there is an existing systematic review available on the topic, a justification that specifies how the proposed review will differ from those already conducted should be detailed. The introduction should conclude with an overarching review objective that captures and aligns with the core elements/mnemonic (i.e. PICO) of the inclusion criteria.