When conducting systematic searches across multiple databases, your results will be dispersed across different platforms. It’s essential to plan in advance how you will record, organise, and manage these results to ensure consistency and transparency throughout your review process.
Most databases offer features that allow you to save search strategies, track your search history, and export results in various formats—including direct export to reference management software. Utilising these tools will help you keep track of the relevant studies (what worked and what didn`t) and help you efficiently manage the studies you identify during the searching process.
 

Searching is rarely done in one go and can take weeks or even months. To save yourself time and to keep track of your progress make sure to record the searches you have already done and any changes on a document.

You can use the fillable template below or create your own

PRISMA stands for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses.

It is a widely used guideline that helps researchers transparently report the methods and findings of literature reviews. PRISMA includes two tools - a checklist and a flow diagram to ensure clarity, reproducibility, and completeness in documenting how studies were identified, screened, and selected. It allows readers to clearly understand how and why the research was conducted, including the replication of the methods used.

You can find all key PRISMA documents here: PRISMA statement

The PRISMA flow diagram illustrates how the number of records and flow of information moves through the different phases of a review. These include records identified, records included and excluded, and the reasons for that. Different templates are available depending on the type of review but they all follow the same premise. It shows the reader how you got from your initial search results to your final selection.