Managing and reporting
Exporting and managing citations
After you have finalized your search and run it in your chosen databases, you will need to download your search results. Each database will have different ways to download and export your search results, so you can consult the database’s help pages if the process is unclear. After your search results have been extracted, you will need to remove any duplicate records and begin screening them against your selection criteria.
- De-duplication: To save time in the screening process, any duplicate records need to be removed. It is important to track the number of duplicates that are removed, so you have a record of the number of unique records that will be screened.
- Screening involves looking at each record to see if it meets all of your inclusion criteria and none of your exclusion criteria. It is usually done in two stages, first reviewing just the title and abstract to eliminate the records you can. The second stage involves retrieving the full-text of all the records that remain and re-screening. To reduce bias, it is recommended to have at least two people independently screen all of the records.
Removing duplicates can be done manually in a program like Excel, but it is recommended that you use citation management software or systematic review software. Similarly, the screening process can be carried out in a program like Excel, but systematic review software generally allows blind screening and will track decisions and screening conflicts. Please see the following section, Software for Screening and Managing Citations, for software suggestions.
