Keyboard Shortcuts
ActiveSLR provides keyboard shortcuts for the most common screening actions. Using shortcuts eliminates the need to reach for the mouse between decisions, which can significantly increase screening speed once you build the habit.
Screening shortcuts
These shortcuts are active during title/abstract screening and full-text screening.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
I | Include the current study |
E | Exclude the current study (opens exclusion reason dropdown) |
M | Mark the current study as "Maybe" (if Maybe decisions are enabled for the project) |
U | Undo the last decision |
? | Show the keyboard shortcuts overlay |
After pressing E to exclude, the exclusion reason dropdown opens. You can use the mouse to select a reason, or press the number key corresponding to the reason in the list (if your project has numbered reasons).
Navigation shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
Arrow Right | Move to the next study in the queue |
Arrow Left | Move to the previous study |
Home | Jump to the first study in the queue |
End | Jump to the last study in the queue |
PDF viewer shortcuts
These shortcuts are active when a PDF is open in the PDF viewer during full-text screening or data extraction.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
+ or = | Zoom in |
- | Zoom out |
0 | Reset zoom to fit page |
Page Down | Scroll to the next page |
Page Up | Scroll to the previous page |
Global shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
? | Show keyboard shortcuts overlay from anywhere in the screening interface |
Escape | Close any open dropdown or overlay |
Keyboard shortcuts are only active when the main content area has focus. If a text input field is focused (such as a search box or annotation field), keyboard shortcuts are disabled to avoid accidental actions.
Tips for faster screening
- Use
IandEas your primary decision keys and keep your fingers on those keys between studies. - Use
Arrow Rightto advance instead of clicking Next - this keeps both hands on the keyboard. - Use
Uimmediately if you make a mis-key. You do not need to undo with the mouse. - Keep the
?overlay open in a second monitor or browser tab when you are first learning the shortcuts.