Station Three- Cluster Quiz A

A protocol is described in Lesson 1.3.1 as a “scientific contract”, a living promise made before any data is examined. Which of the following statements most precisely captures what makes a protocol a contract rather than merely a planning document?

A) The protocol is a contract because it must be signed by every co-author before submission to PROSPERO.

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B) The protocol is a contract because it pre-specifies every methodological decision and creates public accountability — once it is registered, any deviation must be declared and justified, just as a contractual amendment would.

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C) The protocol is a contract because the journal that eventually publishes the review will hold the author legally liable for any departure from it.

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D) The protocol is a contract because PRISMA-P requires it to include a binding clause on data sharing with the publisher.

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Lesson 1.3.1 introduces three international frameworks that set the global standard for evidence-synthesis protocols. Which option correctly identifies all three frameworks AND the review type each is most strongly associated with?

A) PRISMA-P (most widely adopted, framework-agnostic) · Cochrane Handbook (gold standard for healthcare intervention reviews) · JBI Manual (qualitative, scoping, and diagnostic accuracy reviews).

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B) PRISMA-P (qualitative reviews only) · Cochrane Handbook (any review type) · JBI Manual (intervention reviews only).

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C) PRISMA-P (drug-trial reviews) · Cochrane Handbook (educational interventions) · JBI Manual (policy reviews).

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D) PRISMA-P, Cochrane Handbook, and JBI Manual are three names for the same protocol framework, used interchangeably in the field.

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PRISMA-P contains 17 items grouped into three sections, Administrative Information, Introduction, and Methods. The Administrative Information section (Items 1–5) covers title, registration, authors, amendments, and funding/conflicts of interest. According to Station 1.3, these administrative items are “housekeeping”, procedural requirements that do not affect the scientific quality of the review.

TRUE – administrative items are formalities; the scientific quality of a review depends only on the Methods section.

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FALSE – every PRISMA-P item, including the administrative items, exists because a specific type of failure becomes possible without it. They are not housekeeping; they are the administrative architecture of scientific integrity.

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A research team is drafting a protocol on cognitive behavioural therapy for adolescent anxiety. In the Rationale section (PRISMA-P Item 6), they write: “Anxiety disorders affect a significant proportion of adolescents worldwide, with substantial impact on academic and social functioning. Cognitive behavioural therapy has been studied widely as a treatment option. This review will explore the available evidence on CBT for adolescent anxiety.” A peer reviewer responds: “The rationale does not justify the review.” Using Lesson 1.3.3, identify what is specifically missing.

A) The rationale is missing the three-part gap argument, what has been done, what is missing, and why this specific review fills that exact space. It describes the topic without identifying a gap, so it is an introduction, not a rationale.

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B) The rationale is missing a citation count, PRISMA-P Item 6 requires at least five cited prior studies for context.

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C) The rationale is missing the PICO question itself, Item 6 requires the research question to appear in the rationale section.

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D) The rationale is missing because it is too short, Item 6 requires the rationale to be at least 250 words.

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Station Three- Cluster Quiz A

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