Getting Started with the Screening Tool

What the tool is and how it runs

The screening tool is a local-first application for title and abstract screening in systematic reviews. Your records are parsed in the page, projects are stored in your browser, and nothing is uploaded unless you sign in to save a review to your account or turn on collaboration. Local screening is unlimited and free with no time limit and no credit card.

The workflow follows the numbered sections in the left sidebar: import your search results, set relevance criteria and rank, screen each record, then save, export, and appraise. A short built-in walkthrough is available at any time from the help button in the header (the button titled How to use).

Try the demo project first

If you have no export file handy, the fastest way to see the tool working is the built-in demonstration review. It loads a real 200-record sample from a published post-traumatic stress disorder systematic review, prefills the eligibility criteria, and ranks the records by relevance so you can start deciding immediately.

1. Open the screening tool. With no records loaded you will see two buttons in the empty state.
2. Click Try a demo project. The records, criteria, and relevance ranking load automatically.
3. Screen a few records with the Include, Maybe, and Exclude controls, or the keyboard keys i, m, and e.
4. Click Clear in the Save and export section when you are done, then import your own search results with Upload files.

Import your own records

Click Upload files and choose one or more export files from your database searches. The free tier imports RIS, PubMed .nbib and MEDLINE, CSV, TSV, and Excel files; BibTeX and EndNote or PubMed XML are added on the Pro plan. Multiple files merge into one project and duplicates are removed automatically. You can also click Paste, drop raw RIS or PubMed MEDLINE text into the box, and click Import pasted text.

The dedicated importing guide covers every format, the direct database connectors, and citation chasing in detail.

Make your first decisions

Enter your criteria in the Relevance criteria section: Include concepts (one per line, commas for synonyms) and Exclude signals (highlighted red and flagged, never auto-removed). Click Rank by relevance to order the list so likely includes surface first. Then work through the records: every decision is yours, and ranking never hides or excludes anything on its own.

Decisions are saved in your browser as you go. Use Decisions CSV to export your calls at any point, or Save project to download the whole review as a file you can reload later with Load project.

Save to the cloud and free tier limits

Signing in adds cloud saving so you can reopen a review on any device. Click My saved reviews in the header, name the review, and click Save to my account. Once a review is linked you will also see Update saved review and Save as a new review.

The free plan includes up to 3 cloud-saved reviews with up to 5,000 records and 2 reviewers each, plus one named pilot sample per review. Local screening in the browser stays unlimited on every plan. Pro removes the cloud review cap, raises the record limit, and unlocks full-text screening, data extraction, meta-analysis, and custom exports.