Learning Objectives
- Master effective techniques for organizing large volumes of search results.
- Learn systematic approaches to removing duplicate references.
- Understand how to use reference management software strategically.
- Develop skills in documenting and tracking the screening process.
- Create reproducible workflows for managing systematic review data.
Managing search results efficiently is crucial for maintaining the integrity and organization of systematic reviews. With searches often yielding thousands of references across multiple databases, proper management becomes essential for:
- Maintaining accuracy and preventing data loss.
- Enabling efficient screening processes.
- Supporting transparent reporting.
- Facilitating collaboration among review team members.
This section explores effective strategies and tools for managing search results, ensuring that your systematic review process is streamlined and reproducible.
Software | Key Features | Best For | Price |
---|---|---|---|
EndNote | Robust deduplication | Large-scale reviews | Commercial |
Custom fields | |||
Advanced sorting | |||
Zotero | Open-source | Team projects | Free |
Browser integration | |||
Group collaboration | |||
Mendeley | PDF annotation | Individual researchers | Freemium |
Social networking | |||
Cloud storage | |||
Covidence | Systematic review-specific | Full review management | Subscription |
Screening workflow | |||
Data extraction tools |
Efficient management of search results is critical to the success of systematic reviews. By leveraging advanced export settings, reference management software, and well-documented workflows, researchers can ensure accuracy, transparency, and reproducibility. Adopting the strategies and tools outlined here will streamline the review process and facilitate collaboration among team members, leading to more reliable and impactful results.