The Phillip Capozzi, M.D. Library has an institutional account for Covidence.  If you are working on a Systematic Review, Scoping Review or similar project and would like to use Covidence, please complete the form by clicking on the link above.  

 

 

 

TOOL	Cost	Abstract Review	Full Text Review	Data Extraction	Data Analysis/MetaAnalysis
abstrackr	Free	Yes	No	No	No
Rayyan	Basic is Free Paid Premium	Yes	No No	No	No
SRDR+ (Systematic Review Data Repository)	Free	Yes	No	Yes	No
SR Accelerator	Free	Yes	No	No	No
SysRev	Basic is Free Paid Premium	Yes	No	Paid-Yes
Covidence	Library Subscription	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Distiller SR	Paid	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
RevMan	Only Free for Cochrane Reviews	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
PICO Portal	First Review is Free Only	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

 

 

In your protocol you have already established the eligibility criteria for inclusion. In other words, what does the study need to look like in order to answer your research question? What is the population? Age? Time frame? Problem? Intervention?

Since you have cast a wide net and completed a rigorous search, you have many studies from which to choose. You will now use this criteria for screening and selecting.

Remember, screening and selection requires two or more reviewers to work independently from one another. This reduces any chance of bias.

Here are two tools that may help in this process. Keep in mind, Covidence goes beyond the initial screening process and into selecting, it also allows you to extract the data. 

Rayyan QCRI

Rayyan is similar to Covidence but less costly. It too is a web-tool that dramatically speeds up the process of sorting and screening.  Unlike Covidence it is free, but also unlike Covidence, Rayyan does not go beyond the screening process to the selection or data extraction phase. Covidence does.

 

 

Covidence is a web based tool that streamlines your ability to screen, select, as well as extract the data from the selected studies for your systematic review.   It can also Generate this PRISMA flow diagram and can export quality assessment, risk of bias, and study data to RevMan to generate reports and MetaAnalysis.​

Outside of the free trial though, Covidence is fee based. 

 

Exporting studies From Covidence to:

When you have completed the data extraction in Covidence for each included study, you are now ready to export your data to RevMan Web

Here is a link for more information.

RevMan facilitates preparation of protocols and full reviews, including text, characteristics of studies, comparison tables, and study data. It can perform meta-analysis of the data that was exported from Covidence and present the results graphically.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SRDR Plus (The Systematic Review Data Repository: Plus) is a tool for extracting, managing, and archiving data. Click here to learn more about SRDR Plus.

DistillerSR (subscription). DistillerSR provides screening, data extraction. It Uploads your references from your reference management software, such as EndNote, creates screening and data extraction forms, lays out workflow and assigns reviewers, monitors study progress, reviews process, exports results and can even create a PRISMA flowchart automation.

 

 

Exporting studies From Covidence to:

When you have completed the data extraction in Covidence for each included study, you are now ready to export your data to RevMan Web

Here is a link for more information.

RevMan facilitates preparation of protocols and full reviews, including text, characteristics of studies, comparison tables, and study data. It can perform meta-analysis of the data that was exported from Covidence and present the results graphically.

 

 

• PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) an evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The aim of these PRISMA Statements is to help authors improve the reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
  • PRISMA-P guides you in writing your protocol for your systematic review.
  • The PRISMA-S helps you document what you searched and how you searched.
  • Check out the PRISMA Checklist. This will help you write each section of your paper.
  • The PRISMA Flow Diagram under Key Documents. This will guide you in your selection process of final studies.
  • The PRISMA-NMA. It provides guidance for reporting systematic reviews comparing multiple treatments using direct and indirect evidence in network meta-analyses. In addition to providing guidance It also highlights educational information related to key considerations in the practice of network meta-analysis.
  • The PRISMA Extension brings it all together. It will help you write each section, and document your search and methods. And also guides in the synthesis of the data, and making your conclusions.
• National Academies Press Finding What Works in Healthcare: Standards for Systematic Reviews from the Institutes of Medicine for developing high-quality systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research. Create a free account and obtain a free download. Very searchable e-Book.
  • Also from the IOM is a five page detailed list of procedural steps to keep you organized when conducting your systematic review.
• Centre for Reviews and Dissemination Systematic Reviews: CRD's Guidance for Undertaking Reviews in Health Care  provides practical guidance for undertaking systematic reviews evaluating the effects of health interventions.
• Cochrane Collaboration Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions  provides guidance to authors for the preparation of Cochrane Intervention reviews.
• Evidence-Based Behavioral Practice Introduction to Systematic Reviews funded by the National Library of Medicine, EBBP creates training resources to help bridge the gap between behavioral health research and practice.

 

Excellent resources to guide you in choosing the best studies:​

• CASP Check List ​

• JBI Critical Appraisal

Risk of Bias Assessment Resource:

• Higgins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, Welch VA (editors). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 6.3 (updated February 2022). Cochrane, 2022. Available from www.training.cochrane.org/handbook.​

  • Part 2: Core methods. Chapter 7: Bias and conflicts of interest and Chapter 8: Risk of bias in randomized trials​