Extracting Data
When the extraction form is ready, extractors work through each included study in a side-by-side interface that shows the study's PDF on one side and the extraction form on the other. This page covers the full extraction workflow from opening a study to marking it complete.
The extraction queue
From the Data Extraction section of your project, the To Extract tab lists all studies assigned to you that are waiting for extraction. Each card shows the study title, authors, and year.
Checking out a study
Before you can fill in a form, you must check out the study. Checkout locks the study to your account while you are working on it, preventing another team member from editing the same record at the same time.
To check out a study, click its title in the queue. The system checks it out automatically when you open it. A small lock icon and your name appear in the study card to indicate it is checked out.
A study remains checked out until you mark it as complete or explicitly release the checkout. If you navigate away without marking it complete, the study stays checked out to you and will not appear in any other extractor's queue.
The side-by-side extraction view
After checkout, the interface splits into two panels:
- Left panel - the full PDF viewer for the study. You can scroll through the PDF, zoom in and out, and navigate between pages.
- Right panel - the extraction form with all sections and fields you defined in the form builder.
You can resize the panels by dragging the divider between them. If you need more room for the PDF, drag the divider right; if you need more form space, drag it left.
Filling in the form
Click any field in the right panel to activate it and start entering data. You can type directly into text, integer, and decimal fields. For boolean fields, click the Yes or No button. For list fields, click to open the dropdown and select an option.
Work through the sections in order, or jump to any section using the section navigation at the top of the form panel.
Auto-save
Every change you make to the form is saved automatically as you type or select values. There is no Save button to click. A small Saved indicator appears in the form header after each auto-save.
Because of auto-save, you can close your browser, step away, and return later to pick up exactly where you left off. Your in-progress entries are always preserved.
Marking a study complete
When you have filled in all required fields, click Mark as Complete at the bottom of the form panel. This:
- Releases the checkout so no extractor can edit it further
- Moves the study to the QC or reconciliation queue (depending on your project type)
- Removes the study from your extraction queue
Once you mark a study as complete, you cannot edit the form yourself. A QC reviewer or reconciler may send it back for revision if they identify issues.
Releasing a checkout without completing
If you need to release a study without finishing it - for example, to let a colleague take over - use the Release Checkout option in the study menu. The study returns to the queue and any extractor can check it out again.
Any entries you made before releasing the checkout are saved. The next extractor to check out the study will see your partial work.