Title and abstract screening in the References list vs Focus mode view - overview

The inclusion/exclusion decisions for the Title and Abstract screening can be made in both Reference List View and Focus Mode.

TIP: We recommend using Focus Mode, as it is more easily supported by AI models. Based on previous reviewer decisions, the AI prioritizes references with the highest probability of being included, displaying them first. In the Focus Mode, the ranking updates automatically as you work. However, in the Reference List View, you must manually apply the ranking by clicking the "Apply Ranking" icon to reorder references. You can also customise display options in Focus mode, such as enabling AI-powered abstract formatting to help you find relevant information in context.

Reference list view

On the right you can access all the references uploaded to a project. On the left you can use filters to sort and filter records using boolean operators.

In the top right corner of the dashboard, you can click the Bibliographic Data button to open the panel where you can see more information about reference (including the abstract). At the bottom of the dashboard you will find the decision panel. It contains the Include/Exclude buttons, you can also Postpone decision.

Note that each In/Out button has a keyboard shortcut that allows you to speed up the screening:

A - Include the records
1 - 9 - Exclude with a reason

At any time you can open a reference in Focus mode by selecting a single reference and clicking
on the icon next to the reference or in the top right-hand corner. Details of Focus mode are given below.

Reference list view with include and exclude buttons at the bottom, record set counters, and setup buttons at the top

Tips: Other useful options can be found at the top of the Dashboard. This section contains action buttons for:
    - Instructions and highlights: This button is used to switch the highlighting on or off 
    - Apply ranking: Use this button to apply a new ranking (record prioritization) based on inclusion likelihood to the Reference List. Button will be active when the new ranking is ready. You have to click it to apply it on the list view. You don't need to use this button if you are working in the Focus Mode view, as records are automatically prioritized.
    - Send decision button: Use if you are not planning to change your screening decision.

Focus Mode

The view in Focus mode is divided into three sections:

Left side panel with the tabs for Bibliographic data, Reference list, Instructions and Highlights, Settings
Abstract view (central part of the screen)
Decision panel (right side of the screen) - Includes buttons for Inclusion and Exclusion decisions, and structured comments, as well as the text field for additional comments.

Focus mode view with a left-side panel with tabs for Bibliographic Data, Reference List, Instructions and Highlights, and Settings, a central Abstract View, and a right-side Decision Panel

In this article you will see how to customise the view of the focus mode according to your own preferences.

Regardless of whether you are screening in the Reference list or Focus mode, after you make a decision for a batch or all records, you have to submit them by clicking the "Send decision" button located at the top of the page in the Reference list view. Until you won’t click this button, the In/Out decisions or potential conflicts won’t be visible to the project manager and cannot be compared with the other user's decision (in the case of double screening).

Note that once you have sent your decision, you will not be able to modify it. The only way to change the decision is via the References panel in manager mode.

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