Publication time lag and its associated factors in meta-analyses published in top medical journals :a protocol for a meta-epidemiological study

Introduction: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses serve as the cornerstone of clinical guidelines, yet their validity hinges on the currency of the included evidence. Although methodological standards emphasize minimizing the publication lag, current adherence to these standards in top-tier journalsand Cochrane database remains unclear. Moreover, existing data on publication lag are largely outdated and limited to descriptive statistics without exploring the underlying drivers. Our study aims to fill this gap by quantifying the current publication lag in top-tier medical journals and the Cochrane library and identifying its independent predictors. Methods: This meta-epidemiological study will analyze interventional meta-analyses from top-tier medical journals and Cochrane database. We will calculate the publication lag and assess compliance with AMSTAR 2 timeliness standards. Multivariable regression analysis will be employed to determine independent factors which associated with the extent of publication delay. Discussion: Our study will systematically quantify the scale and determinants of publication lag in top-tier medical journals and the Cochrane database. The findings of our study can be used to optimize the management of evidence synthesis workflows, to provide an actionable framework for assessing evidence currency, and to facilitate a paradigm shift towards data-driven improvements in reporting transparency.