Systematic Review Resources - Reference Management

Documentation is essential in research. As a researcher, it's crucial to document all search-related information. 

Your search strategies should be detailed enough to ensure they can be replicated. It's vital to save your search strategies to ensure reproducibility, transparency, and inclusion in your systematic review manuscript. Be sure to document the following:

• Complete and reproducible search strategies
• Databases searched and the dates of coverage
• The date the searches were conducted, including any updates
• Grey literature sources searched
• Other search methods, such as scanning bibliographies of relevant authors and contacting experts
• The number of unique citations retrieved from the searches
• The number of duplicates identified

To manage your search retrieval and analysis efficiently, use reference management software like RefWorks. This software will help you:

• Maintain a searchable database of references related to your systematic review
• Store all references selected for inclusion and identify duplicates
• Keep track of all references discarded during the review process
• Generate citations and bibliographies for your systematic review write-up

To learn more about RefWorks and how to access it, we recommend our RefWorks LibGuide.