A thesis or dissertation that includes a systematic review needs a PRISMA flow diagram to document how you selected your included studies, and it follows exactly the same structure as a diagram in a published paper. The figure belongs in your methods chapter, sits beside the text describing your search and screening, and traces every record from the databases you searched down to the studies you analysed. You can build it for your thesis in our free PRISMA 2020 flow diagram generator, and this guide explains where the diagram goes, what examiners look for, and how to keep the counts defensible under viva questioning.
The reason a student version deserves its own guide is that the stakes feel different. An examiner can probe your figure in detail during a viva, and a diagram that does not reconcile invites exactly the line of questioning you want to avoid. Getting it right early removes an easy target.
Where the Diagram Belongs in Your Thesis
The flow diagram is a methods artefact, so it appears in the methods chapter at the point where you describe study selection, not in the results. Place it immediately after the text that explains your databases, search dates, and screening process, so the reader meets the figure with the context to interpret it. Number it as a figure, give it a caption that names it as the PRISMA flow diagram, and refer to it by number in the surrounding prose. The broader sequence of building a review around that figure is laid out in our walkthrough on how to conduct a systematic review.
What Examiners and Supervisors Check
Examiners apply the same scrutiny a journal reviewer would, with the added pressure of a live defence. They typically verify:
- That the numbers reconcile from identification to inclusion, with each subtraction accounted for.
- That every database you mention in the text appears as a separate count in the identification box.
- That the full-text exclusion reasons are specific and sum to the total excluded.
- That the figure matches the numbers you state elsewhere in the chapter and in your abstract.
A mismatch between the figure and the text is the single easiest thing for an examiner to catch, so a final pass confirming the included count is identical everywhere is time well spent. Our guide to systematic review screening best practices explains how to document the screening decisions that produce those counts defensibly.
Filling In the Diagram Step by Step
Work through the four phases in order:
- Identification: enter the records returned by each database separately, so PubMed, Embase, and any others each show their own count.
- Records removed before screening: record duplicates removed, and any records excluded by an automation tool, before a single title is read.
- Screening: report records screened and the number excluded at title and abstract.
- Retrieval: report reports sought and any you could not obtain.
- Eligibility: report full texts assessed and excluded, each grouped under a specific reason with its count.
- Inclusion: report the studies included, and the reports describing them if some studies have several publications.
Entering these into a generator that draws the figure as you type means the diagram updates the moment your screening numbers change, which matters because a thesis review often runs for months. Our step-by-step guide to creating a PRISMA flow diagram covers each field in detail.
Keeping the Figure Consistent as the Review Evolves
A common student pitfall is finishing the diagram early, then changing the screening numbers later without updating the figure. Because the thesis is a long document, the figure, the methods prose, and the abstract can drift apart over months of writing. Treat the flow diagram as a living artefact: every time a count changes, update the figure and re-check that the abstract and methods still match. A generator helps here, because regenerating from updated counts is instant, whereas a hand-drawn figure tempts you to leave it stale.
When the diagram is final, think about the file format before you drop it into your thesis template. A high-resolution vector export holds its sharpness when the document is printed or converted to PDF for submission, where a pasted screenshot can blur at full page size; our guide to saving the figure in a format your thesis template accepts covers which formats survive that conversion cleanly.
Matching the Diagram to Your Review Type
If your thesis uses a review type other than a standard systematic review, choose the matching approach. A scoping review uses the PRISMA-ScR conventions, an empty review still ends in a zero included count, and a review that searches reference lists or registries needs the layout with an other-sources column. The figure adapts, but the discipline of clean reconciliation never changes. Whatever route your review takes, the diagram is what proves to your examiners that the included studies emerged from a thorough, transparent process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a PRISMA flow diagram in my thesis?
If your thesis or dissertation includes a systematic review, yes. The flow diagram documents how you selected your included studies and is expected in the methods chapter. It uses the same structure as a diagram in a published systematic review.
Where does the PRISMA flow diagram go in a dissertation?
It belongs in the methods chapter, placed immediately after the text describing your search and screening process. Number it as a figure, caption it as the PRISMA flow diagram, and refer to it by number in the surrounding prose.
What do examiners look for in the flow diagram?
Examiners check that the numbers reconcile from identification to inclusion, that every database appears as a separate count, that full-text exclusion reasons are specific and sum correctly, and that the figure matches the numbers stated elsewhere in the chapter and abstract.
How do I keep the diagram accurate while writing a long thesis?
Treat it as a living figure. Every time your screening counts change, update the diagram and re-check that the abstract and methods still agree with it. A generator that redraws from entered counts makes this update instant and prevents the figure from going stale.
Can I use a free tool to make my thesis PRISMA diagram?
Yes. A free generator produces a publication-ready figure from the counts you enter, redraws instantly when numbers change, and exports formats suitable for a thesis. This is usually faster and cleaner than drawing the figure by hand.