PRISMA Flow Diagram: Track Screening Decisions in a Systematic Review

Start with the purpose and requirements

Keep accurate counts from literature identification through final inclusion. This guide is a practical starting point, not a replacement for your supervisor’s instructions, university handbook or a journal’s current author guidelines. Requirements vary by discipline and stage, so confirm the applicable rules before drafting or revising your document.

Apply the approach to your document

A PRISMA flow diagram reports the path of records and studies through a review. Track duplicates, screening exclusions, full-text assessment and reasons for exclusions. The reporting guideline helps readers evaluate transparency; completing a diagram does not automatically make a review systematic or high quality.

An illustrative example

Keep separate counts for database records and other sources when the chosen diagram calls for them. If one study appears in several reports, distinguish reports from studies rather than treating every publication as an independent study. This example shows how to reason about the task; it is not a ready-made result, prescribed template or claim about a completed client project. Adapt the approach to your own evidence and approved requirements.

Checks before you move on

Work through these checks on your actual document. If a requirement is unclear, note the question for your supervisor, department or journal rather than guessing. Keep the original draft and a record of significant decisions so revisions remain traceable.

• Save the screening log
• Document full-text exclusion reasons
• Reconcile all counts
• Choose the diagram matching your review design

Prepare a review-support enquiry

Explain the review question, intended review type and what you have already completed. A search log, screening record or evidence matrix is more useful than a broad topic alone. Ask for a clearly defined support task before agreeing to drafting or editing. Keep a record of source selection and check every citation against the underlying publication.

Discuss scope and next steps

Academic Compass provides review paper support from Fort, Mumbai for researchers and students across India. Use the Services & Pricing page to review the listed service and WhatsApp to discuss your stage, deadline and required help. Ask for confirmation of the specific deliverables and price before starting. Academic approval, grades and journal acceptance are independent decisions and are not guaranteed.