Tip: Look for these icons for guidance on which technique is required
Systematic Review
Integrative Review
Rapid Review
Scoping Review
Traditional Literature Review
Screening is the process of identifying studies from the literature search for inclusion in the review.
PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) is fast becoming a standard for reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, but is also used with other review types.
It includes a procedural checklist, and a flow diagram to illustrate the screening process.
Consider using one of the tools below to manage the screening process.
When working with Deakin subscribed material (for example, PDFs of journal articles), please ensure that you comply with all licences, terms and conditions. This applies to all screening and reference management tools, particularly when storing copies of articles. Articles cannot be shared with non-Deakin staff or students.
Your review protocol developed at the beginning of your review will have outlined inclusion and exclusion criteria. These will form the basis of the screening process.
Begin by screening titles and abstracts to remove obviously irrelevant material. At this stage you may not need to provide justification for your exclusions.
You will then need to examine the full text of an article for more detailed screening against your eligibility criteria. At this stage you must provide reasons why you exclude documents.
Consider:
When reviewing the full text of the article, consider:
A team of at least two or three reviewers is important for the screening process to reduce the risk of selection errors and selection bias.
Reviewer teams should:
The review paper should detail how many reviewers screened and the process used for resolving any disagreement.