What are the recommended export settings for major databases?

For PubMed, export in .nbib or .csv format including complete records with abstracts and MeSH terms. For Scopus, use .ris or .csv format with citation information, abstracts, and keywords. For Web of Science, export in .txt or .ris format including full records and cited references. For Embase, use .ris format with complete records and Emtree terms.

Which reference management software is best for systematic reviews?

EndNote is suitable for large-scale reviews due to its robust deduplication features. Zotero is ideal for team projects with its open-source platform and group collaboration capabilities. Mendeley offers PDF annotation and is suitable for individual researchers. Covidence provides systematic review-specific tools for full review management.

What are the steps involved in the deduplication process?

The deduplication process involves three steps: 1) Automated Check: Use software deduplication tools to set matching criteria and process results in batches. 2) Manual Review: Check potential matches flagged by software, verify false positives manually, and document decisions. 3) Quality Control: Review similar titles for inconsistencies, verify author names, and confirm publication types to avoid errors.

What are the best practices for documenting the screening process?

Best practices for documentation include saving original search files, recording export dates, noting the total number of results retrieved from each database, tracking the number of duplicates removed, recording methods and software used for deduplication, maintaining a decision log for ambiguous cases, assigning roles for reviewers, defining decision criteria for inclusion/exclusion, and documenting conflict resolution processes.

Efficient Search Results Management for Systematic Reviews

Milad Mirmoghtadaei

Jan 10, 2025 · 3 min read

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.

Reference Management Software Comparison

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.