Research 101 · Playbook 03
Systematic Review Playbook PRISMA 2020
PRISMA Flow Diagram Every systematic review should transparently document how studies were identified, screened, and ultimately included. Reviewers expect a clear accounting of every article removed throughout the process. Fortunately, creating the figure is straightforward once you know your final screening numbers.
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram IDENTIFICATION Records identified from databases (n = 0) Registers (n = 0) Other methods (n = 0) Citation searching / other sources Records after duplicates removed (n = 0) Duplicate records removed (n = 0) SCREENING Records screened (n = 0) Records excluded (n = 0) Reports sought for retrieval (n = 0) Reports not retrieved (n = 0) ELIGIBILITY Reports assessed for eligibility (n = 0) Reports excluded (n = 0) Wrong population (n = 0) Wrong study design (n = 0) Wrong outcome (n = 0) INCLUDED Studies included in review (n = 0) Studies included in meta-analysis (n = 0) Generated with SnapOrtho Research 101 · PRISMA 2020 structure Exports unlock when all counts reconcile. BroBot mentor
Why reviewers care The PRISMA diagram demonstrates transparency and lets readers understand how your evidence base was assembled.
Common mistake Numbers that do not reconcile between screening stages.
BroBot tip: Always save search results before deduplication so you can reproduce your counts later.
Journal tip: Many journals expect the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram format.
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