PRISMA Flow
The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) flow diagram is a standardised visual summary of how studies were identified, screened, and included or excluded in your review. ActiveSLR generates this diagram automatically from your project's data, so you always have an up-to-date picture of the review process.
What the PRISMA diagram shows
The diagram follows the standard PRISMA structure with boxes and arrows tracing the study flow from identification through to final inclusion:
- Identification - the number of records identified from each database or source, and the total imported into the project
- Deduplication - the number of duplicate records removed
- Screening - the number of records screened at title/abstract level, and how many were excluded with a breakdown by exclusion reason
- Eligibility - the number of full-text articles assessed, and how many were excluded with reasons
- Included - the number of studies included in the final review
Viewing the PRISMA flow
From your project, navigate to Reports & Exports and click the PRISMA Flow tab. The diagram is generated on demand from the current state of your project. Every count reflects decisions recorded in ActiveSLR.
The PRISMA diagram is read-only. All the counts come directly from your screening and deduplication data. To change what the diagram shows, you must update the underlying decisions in the relevant phase.
Exclusion reason breakdown
Below each exclusion box in the diagram, ActiveSLR lists the breakdown of studies excluded for each reason from your exclusion criteria list. This breakdown is required for PRISMA 2020-compliant reporting and saves you from counting exclusion reasons manually.
Using the PRISMA diagram in your manuscript
Click Download to save the diagram as a PNG or SVG file suitable for inserting into a manuscript or report. The downloaded file follows the PRISMA 2020 format.
Download the PRISMA diagram after all screening and reconciliation phases are complete so the counts are final. If you download it while screening is still in progress, the counts will change as more decisions are made.
Relationship to progress reports
The PRISMA diagram uses the same data as the progress report but presents it as a visual flow rather than a table. Use both together - the progress report for detailed counts and the PRISMA diagram for your publication.