International Support
ScribeLabWriter provides PhD-led systematic reviews, meta-analysis, scoping reviews, and evidence synthesis support aligned to the specific regulatory, ethics, and methodology standards of your country. Whether your review needs to meet NIHR evidence submission standards in the UK, NHMRC guideline requirements in Australia, SCFHS research proposal formatting in Saudi Arabia, or IRB protocol standards in the United States, we deliver work that satisfies your institution's exact requirements.
We serve researchers, clinicians, doctoral students, and healthcare professionals across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, and Canada.
Every project follows Cochrane Handbook methodology (version 6.5, 2024), PRISMA 2020 reporting standards, and GRADE certainty of evidence ratings. We then adapt the deliverables to meet your specific national, institutional, and journal requirements.
Custom quote per project
Every systematic review we produce is built on three international frameworks, then tailored to your region's specific requirements.
Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (version 6.5, 2024): The gold standard for intervention reviews. Requires dual independent screening, standardized data extraction, risk of bias assessment using RoB 2 (for randomized trials) or ROBINS-I V2 (for non-randomized studies), and quantitative synthesis when appropriate. Over 110 organizations worldwide have endorsed Cochrane methodology.
JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis (2024 edition): Dominant in nursing, allied health, and qualitative research. Covers qualitative systematic reviews (meta-aggregation), mixed-methods reviews, scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR), and umbrella reviews. JBI critical appraisal checklists are the standard for nursing capstone projects and DNP scholarly work.
GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations): Used by over 110 organizations including the World Health Organization, US CDC, NICE (UK), and the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment. GRADE rates certainty of evidence and strength of recommendations. Required for clinical practice guidelines globally.
PRISMA 2020: The universal reporting standard. Every review we produce includes a PRISMA 2020 flow diagram and a completed checklist with page references.
Protocol registration: We register protocols on PROSPERO (health and social care intervention, diagnostic, prognostic reviews), INPLASY, Research Registry, or OSF depending on your review type and funder requirements. PROSPERO does not accept scoping or literature reviews. We register scoping review protocols on OSF or protocols.io.
We support US-based researchers across NIH-funded programs, university research centers, and healthcare institutions.
Research funding and evidence standards: NIH grant applicants must justify research gaps through systematic reviews. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) runs the Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program and sets the standard for grading strength of evidence. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) uses an analytic-framework and key-questions methodology, with EPC-conducted reviews scoped jointly with AHRQ staff. PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) maintains its own Methodology Standards for systematic reviews, referencing the Institute of Medicine's 2011 standards.
Ethics and regulatory: All human-subjects research requires Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Clinical evidence for drugs and devices must meet FDA standards. Clinical trials are registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Dissertation and thesis: ProQuest/UMI ETD submission is the standard. APA 7th edition is dominant in health sciences. Chicago/Turabian is used in social sciences and humanities. University-specific formatting templates are followed exactly.
What we deliver for US researchers: PROSPERO-registered protocols, multi-database search strategies (PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsycINFO), dual-reviewer screening with documented inter-rater agreement, GRADE Summary of Findings tables, and publication-ready manuscripts formatted to your target journal's author guidelines. For dissertations, we follow your university's submission template and ProQuest requirements.
We support UK-based researchers working within NHS, NIHR, and university research frameworks.
Research funding and evidence synthesis: The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds the Evidence Synthesis Programme, which commissions Technology Assessment Reviews (TARs) through External Assessment Groups (EAGs) and Evidence Synthesis Groups (ESGs). The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) at the University of York developed and maintains PROSPERO. NIHR commits to registering all funded reviews in PROSPERO.
NICE evidence submission: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) sets methodology for technology appraisals, highly specialised technologies, and evidence submissions for the NHS. Systematic reviews submitted to NICE must meet specific methodology and reporting standards. TARs critique industry evidence submissions on behalf of NICE committees.
Ethics and regulatory: The Health Research Authority (HRA) coordinates research governance. Ethics approval is obtained through Research Ethics Committees (RECs). The Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) is the single submission point for all required approvals. The Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG) advises on use of confidential patient data. The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) regulates clinical trials. The REF (Research Excellence Framework) assesses publication quality for university funding.
PhD and thesis: The UK viva voce tradition requires an oral defense with internal and external examiners. University-specific thesis formatting and submission standards vary by institution.
What we deliver for UK researchers: NIHR-standard evidence syntheses, NICE-compliant methodology, PROSPERO registration, Cochrane-standard risk of bias assessment, GRADE certainty ratings, and manuscripts formatted to BMJ, Lancet, or your target journal. For PhD students, we provide defense and viva preparation dossiers with anticipated examiner questions and model answers.
We support researchers working within NHMRC, university, and healthcare system frameworks across Australia and New Zealand.
Research funding and evidence standards: The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) requires systematic reviews as the evidence base for clinical guidelines. The NHMRC "Guidelines for Guidelines" handbook uses GRADE methodology. The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research governs all human-subjects research. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) requires Health Technology Assessment evidence for subsidy decisions, frequently drawing on systematic reviews.
Ethics and regulatory: Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) provide institutional ethics approval. Approximately 200 HRECs are registered with the NHMRC. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) operates Clinical Trial Notification (CTN) and Clinical Trial Approval (CTA) schemes. Clinical trials are registered on the ANZCTR (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry).
New Zealand: The Health and Disability Ethics Committees (HDEC) handle ethical review. Medsafe regulates medicines and medical devices.
PhD and thesis: The Australian "thesis by publication" format is widely used, where a PhD thesis consists of published or submitted journal articles with a connecting narrative. University-specific formatting requirements vary.
What we deliver for Australian and NZ researchers: NHMRC-aligned evidence synthesis, GRADE-based certainty ratings for guideline development, PBAC-standard HTA evidence, PROSPERO registration, and manuscripts formatted to MJA, ANZJPH, or your target journal. We support both traditional monograph theses and the thesis-by-publication format.
We support Saudi-based researchers, Saudi Board residents, and clinicians working within SCFHS, KAIMRC, and university research programs.
Healthcare regulation and research standards: The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) regulates all health professions kingdom-wide. Saudi Board residents must complete research projects and dissertations following the standard SCFHS proposal format, which includes: title page, research methodology, ethical considerations (with IRB approval, NCBE compliance, and Declaration of Helsinki adherence), a Gantt chart timeline, budget, and expected outcomes.
Ethics and regulatory: The National Committee of Bioethics (NCBE) sits within KACST (King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology) and sets national bioethics standards. The NCBE supervises local IRBs, administers the Law of Ethics of Research on Living Creatures, and requires all institutional IRBs to register through KACST. The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) ensures safety, quality, and efficacy of drugs and devices. Clinical trials require SFDA approval, local IRB approval, and registration via the Saudi Clinical Trials Registry (SCTR). The SFDA runs GCP inspections and the National Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety Center.
Major research institutions: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) is a leading center for oncology, transplantation, and genomics. The King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), launched in 2006 under the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, is the largest medical research institution in Saudi Arabia and operates the Saudi Biobank and Cord Blood Bank. King Saud University's Deanship of Scientific Research administers IRB processes requiring NCBE registration.
Vision 2030 research priorities: The Health Sector Transformation Program (HSTP), launched in 2021, drives Saudi Arabia's shift to value-based, preventive, patient-centered care with digital health and biotech ambitions. Systematic reviews are increasingly required to support evidence-based policy under this transformation.
What we deliver for Saudi researchers: SCFHS-formatted research proposals, NCBE-compliant ethics documentation, PROSPERO registration, systematic reviews meeting Saudi Board thesis requirements, and manuscripts formatted for Saudi Medical Journal, Annals of Saudi Medicine, or international journals. We understand the SCFHS proposal structure, IRB submission process, and the specific timeline constraints of Saudi Board residency programs.
We support UAE-based researchers and clinicians across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the Northern Emirates.
Healthcare regulation: The UAE operates a multi-authority regulatory system. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) regulates Dubai through the Dubai Scientific Research Ethics Committee (DSREC). The Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH) operates the DOH REC/IRB and the Abu Dhabi Health Research and Technology Committee (ADHRTC) for multicenter studies, all-phase clinical trials, and genetic research. The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) is the federal authority and primary regulator for the Northern Emirates. The Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) regulates Sharjah. The Dubai Healthcare City Authority Regulatory (DHCR) operates as an independent free-zone regulator.
University research: Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) operates an IRB under DSREC. Khalifa University and the University of Sharjah maintain their own research ethics processes.
What we deliver for UAE researchers: Ethics documentation aligned to DHA, DOH, MOHAP, or SHA requirements, PROSPERO registration, systematic reviews formatted for the target regulatory authority, and manuscripts formatted for Emirates Medical Journal or international journals.
Qatar: The Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP, formerly QCHP) under the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) regulates healthcare practitioners. Research conducted at Sidra Medicine and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) goes through their institutional IRBs.
Oman: The Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) is the centralized regulator and specialty training body.
Bahrain: The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) oversees healthcare regulation.
Kuwait: The Ministry of Health regulates healthcare practice and research.
Arab Board of Health Specializations: Trainees across the Arab world completing Arab Board theses must meet specific research and formatting requirements.
What we deliver for GCC researchers: Research proposals formatted for QCHP/DHP, OMSB, NHRA, or Arab Board requirements, PROSPERO registration, and systematic reviews meeting Gulf institutional standards.
We support European researchers working within EU frameworks and national regulatory systems.
EU-wide standards: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) sets clinical evidence standards across the EU. Horizon Europe provides research grant frameworks with specific formatting and reporting requirements. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in force since May 2018, governs personal data in human-subjects research. GDPR compliance affects how systematic reviews handle individual participant data, linked health records, and cross-border data sharing.
Germany: The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) sets research funding standards. The Promotionsordnung governs doctoral regulations. The cumulative (publication-based) dissertation format is widely used in health sciences.
France: INSERM is the national health research institute. The CNIL (Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes) governs health-data protection. Doctoral school conventions set thesis requirements.
Netherlands: The Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CCMO) approves and oversees accredited Medical Research Ethics Committees (MRECs) and provides the ABR national review and registration form. ZonMw funds health research.
Scandinavia: The PhD-by-publication format is the norm in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Nordic trial registries are used for clinical study registration.
Italy: AIFA (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco) and the Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS) regulate health research.
Spain: AEMPS (Agencia Espanola de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios) and ISCIII (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) govern research standards.
What we deliver for European researchers: GDPR-compliant systematic reviews, Horizon Europe grant-formatted protocols, GRADE-based evidence for guideline submissions, and manuscripts formatted to BMJ, Lancet, JAMA, or European specialty journals. We support both monograph and cumulative dissertation formats.
We support researchers across India, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
India: The University Grants Commission (UGC) sets PhD regulations. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued National Ethical Guidelines in 2017. The Clinical Trials Registry India (CTRI), run by ICMR-NIMS, requires mandatory prospective registration before first patient enrollment under the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules 2019. CTRI is also used for postgraduate thesis registration. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) regulates clinical trials. Ethics committees register with the Department of Health Research (DHR).
China: The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA, formerly CFDA) regulates drugs and devices. The National Health Commission (NHC) oversees research ethics. China is adopting ICH-GCP E6(R3) for all drug clinical trials conducted after March 31, 2026.
Japan: The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) regulates clinical evidence. Institutional ethics committees handle research approval.
South Korea: The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) regulates health products. The Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) is a WHO ICTRP primary registry.
Singapore: The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) regulates health products. The SingHealth Centralised Institutional Review Board (CIRB), established in 2009, handles ethics review with a mutual-recognition arrangement with NHG's DSRB. The Human Biomedical Research Act 2015, with core provisions in force since November 2017, governs human biomedical research.
Malaysia: The Medical Research and Ethics Committee (MREC) under the Ministry of Health handles ethics review. The National Medical Research Register (NMRR) is a one-stop system linking research registration to ethics review. The Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) sets PhD standards through the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF Level 8 for doctoral).
Thailand: The Thai FDA under the Ministry of Public Health controls drug trials. Central ethics committees include ECMOPH and CREC. Major universities (Mahidol, Chulalongkorn) operate their own ethics committees.
What we deliver for Asian researchers: CTRI-registered protocols, NMPA-compliant evidence, systematic reviews formatted to institutional requirements across the region, and manuscripts formatted for regional or international journals.
We support researchers across Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Egypt.
Kenya: The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) operates the Scientific and Ethics Review Unit (SERU). The National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) issues research permits and accredits ethics committees. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) regulates pharmaceutical products.
South Africa: The National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC) is the statutory body that registers and audits ethics committees. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) replaced the Medicines Control Council. The National Research Foundation (NRF) and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) fund health research. POPIA governs data protection. Major universities (UNISA, Stellenbosch, UCT, Wits, Pretoria) maintain specific thesis formatting requirements.
Nigeria: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regulates health products. The National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC Nigeria) oversees research ethics.
Ghana: The FDA Ghana regulates health products. The Ghana Health Service Ethics Review Committee (GHS-ERC) handles research ethics.
What we deliver for African researchers: KEMRI/SERU-compliant protocols, NACOSTI research permit documentation, SAHPRA-aligned evidence, systematic reviews meeting institutional requirements, and manuscripts formatted for African Journal of Health Sciences, SAMJ, or international journals.
We support Canadian researchers working within CIHR, university, and healthcare system frameworks.
Research funding and evidence synthesis: The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funds knowledge synthesis and is modifying its criteria to require registration of funded systematic reviews. CIHR historically funded the Canadian Cochrane Centre. The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) conducts pan-Canadian Health Technology Assessments based on systematic reviews.
Ethics and regulatory: The Tri-Council Policy Statement on Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2, 2022) is the prevailing Canadian research-ethics standard, jointly issued by CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC and adopted by Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care uses the Cochrane Handbook, GRADE, PRISMA, and registers protocols on OSF.
What we deliver for Canadian researchers: CIHR-standard knowledge syntheses, TCPS 2-compliant research documentation, CADTH-aligned HTA evidence, PROSPERO registration, and manuscripts formatted for CMAJ, Canadian Journal of Public Health, or international journals.
| Working on a systematic review? Tell us your country and institution. |
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A PhD methodologist will respond within 2-4 business hours with a scope assessment tailored to your regulatory and institutional requirements. Get a Free Quote or Chat on WhatsApp. Get a Free Quote |
If you are unsure which methodology your project requires, include your research question and discipline in the enquiry form and a PhD methodologist will advise.
| Research Field | Primary Methodology | RoB Tool | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical medicine (RCTs) | Cochrane Handbook | RoB 2 | PROSPERO |
| Clinical medicine (observational) | Cochrane Handbook | ROBINS-I V2 or NOS | PROSPERO |
| Nursing and midwifery | JBI Manual | JBI Critical Appraisal | PROSPERO or OSF |
| Public health and epidemiology | Cochrane or JBI | RoB 2 / ROBINS-I / NOS | PROSPERO |
| Diagnostic accuracy | Cochrane DTA | QUADAS-2 | PROSPERO |
| Qualitative research | JBI (meta-aggregation) | JBI or CASP | PROSPERO or OSF |
| Scoping reviews | JBI + PRISMA-ScR | Not required (JBI) | OSF (PROSPERO does not accept) |
| Health technology assessment | Cochrane + GRADE | Per study design | PROSPERO |
We handle the entire registration process for you, regardless of which registry your funder or journal requires.
| Registry | Accepts | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PROSPERO | Intervention, diagnostic, prognostic, genetic reviews | Free | Does NOT accept scoping or literature reviews. All authors must approve. 388,000+ registrations. |
| INPLASY | Systematic reviews only | Paid | Faster processing than PROSPERO. DOI issued. |
| OSF Registries | Any study type including scoping reviews | Free | Required for scoping reviews (PROSPERO does not accept them). |
| Research Registry | Systematic reviews | Paid | Fast turnaround. Unique registration number. |
Most journals and funders expect PROSPERO registration for systematic reviews of health-related interventions, diagnostics, and prognosis. PROSPERO is free and maintained by the University of York's Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, funded by the UK NIHR. Registration should occur before data extraction begins. If your review is a scoping review, PROSPERO does not accept it. We register scoping review protocols on OSF instead.
Cochrane methodology (Cochrane Handbook, version 6.5, 2024) is the standard for intervention reviews in clinical medicine. JBI methodology (JBI Manual, 2024 edition) is the standard for nursing, allied health, qualitative systematic reviews, and scoping reviews. If your research question is "Does X reduce Y compared to Z?", use Cochrane. If it is "What is known about X?" or involves qualitative evidence, use JBI. We work with both and advise based on your question and discipline.
Yes, we format your systematic review to your target journal. Tell us the journal in the enquiry and we match its author guidelines, word count, referencing style, and structured abstract requirements. We commonly format for BMJ, Lancet, JAMA, NEJM, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, JBI Evidence Synthesis, Systematic Reviews, and specialty journals.
Yes, we produce SCFHS-formatted research proposals including all required sections: title page, methodology, ethical considerations with IRB and NCBE compliance, Declaration of Helsinki adherence, Gantt chart timeline, budget, and expected outcomes. We understand the specific requirements and timeline constraints of Saudi Board residency programs.
Yes, we produce systematic reviews and meta-analyses that meet NICE technology appraisal methodology standards. We understand the TAR process, Evidence Synthesis Group requirements, and the methodology NICE committees expect for evidence submissions.
Yes, for European researchers working with individual participant data or linked health records, we ensure data handling complies with GDPR requirements. We advise on anonymization, data processing agreements, and cross-border data transfer considerations within the systematic review process.
We format every deliverable to your institution's exact requirements. This includes APA 7th edition (dominant in US health sciences), Vancouver (common in medicine globally), Harvard (UK and Australia), and institutional style guides. For dissertations, we follow your university's submission template including margins, heading styles, table of contents, and appendix structure. We support both traditional monograph theses and the thesis-by-publication or cumulative dissertation formats used in Australia, Scandinavia, and Germany.
Yes, English language support is built into every project. We produce publication-ready manuscripts in English regardless of your first language. This includes correct technical terminology, natural academic English, and compliance with your target journal's language standards.
Describe your project and a PhD specialist will reply with an itemized quote within 2-4 business hours. No signup, no payment, no obligation.
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