SOTA Survey

Build a traceable evidence map rather than a ranked list of famous papers. Search current sources when the user asks for recent work, and cite primary papers for claims about methods or results.

Protocol

1. Scope

Record:

• research question and decision the survey informs;
• population/domain, intervention or method, comparators, outcomes, and context where applicable;
• inclusion/exclusion criteria;
• languages, publication types, and date coverage;
• databases and search date;
• treatment of preprints, grey literature, theses, replications, and negative results.

Do not default to “last five years” if seminal work is needed. Use a justified end date equal to the actual search date.