ROB-ME

A tool for assessing Risk Of Bias due to Missing Evidence in a synthesis

Welcome to the website for the ROB-ME tool.

Current version

Download the 1 October 2023 version:

A paper describing ROB-ME is available in the BMJ.

Citing the tool

The ROB-ME tool may be cited as:

Page MJ, Sterne JAC, Boutron I, Hróbjartsson A, Kirkham JJ, Li T, Lundh A, Mayo-Wilson E, McKenzie JE, Stewart LA, Sutton AJ, Bero L, Dunn AG, Dwan K, Elbers RG, Kanukula R, Meerpohl JJ, Turner EH, Higgins JPT. ROB-ME: a tool for assessing risk of bias due to missing evidence in systematic reviews with meta-analysis. BMJ 2023 (Nov 20); 383: e076754; doi: 10.1136/bmj-2023-076754.

Training materials

A recording is available of a Cochrane Methods Support Unit Clinic on ROB-ME, delivered by Jonathan Sterne, Matthew Page and Julian Higgins.

Archived version

This previous version was released here on 24 October 2020.

Archived full guidance document (preliminary tool).
Archived crib sheet summarizing the preliminary tool.
Archived template for completing the assessment (preliminary tool).

For feedback on on ROB-ME, please email Matthew Page at matthew.page@monash.edu.