ActiveSLR logo

Auto-Reconciliation

In double-screening projects, when both reviewers independently make the same decision for a study, that decision is automatically accepted without requiring a reconciler's review. This is auto-reconciliation - it eliminates the overhead of manually confirming agreed decisions.

How it works

After both reviewers have screened a study:

  • If both include the study, it is auto-reconciled as included and moves forward to the next phase.
  • If both exclude the study with a compatible reason, it is auto-reconciled as excluded.
  • If the two decisions differ, the study is placed in the reconciliation queue for manual resolution.

Auto-reconciliation happens continuously as reviewers work through the screening queue. You do not need to trigger it manually.

Screenshot needed
Auto-reconciliation summary panel showing counts of auto-reconciled included and excluded studies
Info

Auto-reconciled studies are counted separately in the reconciliation summary, so you can see at a glance how much of the screening required manual intervention versus how much was settled by agreement.

Viewing auto-reconciled studies

To see all auto-reconciled studies, navigate to the Title/Abstract Screening or Full-Text Screening page and open the Reconciled tab. Filter by Auto-reconciled to view only the studies that were accepted automatically.

Each auto-reconciled study shows:

  • Both reviewers' identical decisions
  • The exclusion reason (if excluded)
  • The timestamp when auto-reconciliation was applied
Screenshot needed
Reconciled studies list filtered to show only auto-reconciled studies with reviewer agreement details

Overriding auto-reconciled decisions

If you need to change an auto-reconciled decision - for example, if you later determine that both reviewers misapplied an inclusion criterion - a reconciler can open the study from the Reconciled tab and override the decision.

Warning

Overriding auto-reconciled decisions after a phase is complete should be done carefully. If the project has already advanced to the next phase, changes may not propagate forward automatically. Contact your project manager before making retroactive changes.