PRISMA

The centerpiece flow diagram tracks the number of records at each stage, from database hits through screening and eligibility to the final included studies, with reasons for exclusion. The accompanying checklist, updated in the PRISMA 2020 statement, covers the search strategy, eligibility criteria, risk-of-bias assessment, synthesis methods, and more.

Adherence matters because a systematic review is only as trustworthy as its methods are transparent. Without a documented, reproducible search and selection process, readers cannot tell whether the authors cherry-picked studies or missed relevant evidence. PRISMA turns an opaque narrative into an auditable procedure and sits alongside CONSORT and STROBE in the EQUATOR Network library of reporting guidelines.

For reviewers, a missing or incomplete PRISMA flow diagram, an unregistered protocol, or a search strategy too vague to reproduce are immediate concerns for any submission claiming to be a systematic review.