Are you planning to do a systematic review or other type of review? Here are some useful tools to support your workflow.

Get started- Cochrane Interactive Learning
With these interactive modules, you will learn more about the process from project start to review.
Cochrane Interactive Learning focuses on intervention studies and RCTs. Here you will pick up useful tips on workflow and important methodological considerations. Sign up with your student email (@student.lu.se).

How to report selection of relevant papers

PRISMA is the standard reporting for systematic literature reviews and is available with extended versions for e. g. scoping reviews.

PRISMA- Preferred Reporting for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
International method standard and downloadable checklists and flow charts. Here is an example of the flowchart:

Flow chart of selection of papers following PRISMA standard

Covidence- tool for collaboration, selection and documentation
We have campus access to Covidence, sign up with your student email (@student.lu.se) to set up a review.

Covidence Knowledge Base
Useful video tutorials and tips for functions in Covidence, open to everyone.

EndNote software for reference management
Download EndNote via the student portal, VPN is often required.

EndNote online course
Video modules covering all basic and some advanced functions in EndNote. Enroll to get access to exercises.

Risk of bias assessment

Assessing risk of bias is an essential part of a systematic review. There are checklists for reporting of studies, and for risk of bias assessment, both types are depending on study design. Reporting checklists may be a starting point, to check how well a study is reported. A full risk of bias assessment is usually done with a risk of bias checklist, which lists signalling questions for each included study as part of a structured assessment. A risk of bias checklist also adresses how well a study is conducted, not just reported.

Latitudes Network
Guidance on risk of bias and quality assessment tools, how to choose an appropriate tool

Reporting guidelines- EQUATOR network

Reporting guidelines for different study designs may help you reporting flaws in studies.

RoB2 and ROBINS checklists
Risk of bias checklists for randomized and non-randomized studies of interventions.

Newcastle-Ottawa Scale
Risk of bias checklist for observational studies

JBI Manual of Evidence Synthesis

Method tips for qualitative systematic reviews and scoping reviews

Cochrane Handbook
Extensive guide on systematic review methodology

Tools for evidence grading

If you do a master thesis you may need tools for evidence grading. The GRADE method is international standard for evidence grading. The GRADE handbook and website can give you further guidance.

Evidence grading with GRADE- series of articles

GRADE handbook

CERQual grading of qualitative materialLinks to an external site.

Additional recommended reading on how to do a literature review

Booth, A., Sutton, A., Clowes, M. & Martyn-St James, M. (2022). Systematic approaches to a successful literature review. (Third edition). Los Angeles: SAGE.
Bettany-Saltikov, J., & McSherry, R. How to do a systematic literature review in nursing: a step-by-step guide. McGraw-Hill Education.