Optimizing Research Impact: A Toolkit for Stakeholder-Driven Prioritization of Systematic Review Topics.

The prioritization of topics for evidence synthesis is crucial for maximizing the relevance and impact of systematic reviews. This article introduces a comprehensive toolkit designed to facilitate a structured, multi-step framework for engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the prioritization process, ensuring the selection of topics that are both relevant and applicable. We detail an open-source framework comprising 11 coherent steps, segmented into scoping and Delphi stages, to offer a flexible and resource-efficient approach for stakeholder involvement in research priority setting. The toolkit provides ready-to-use tools for the development, application, and analysis of the framework, including templates for online surveys developed with free open-source software, ensuring ease of replication and adaptation in various research fields. The framework supports the transparent and systematic development and assessment of systematic review topics, with a particular focus on stakeholder-refined assessment criteria. Our toolkit enhances the transparency and ease of the priority-setting process. Targeted primarily at organizations and research groups seeking to allocate resources for future research based on stakeholder needs, this toolkit stands as a valuable resource for informed decision-making in research prioritization.