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PRISMA Checklist Generator

Work through all 27 items of the PRISMA 2020 reporting checklist interactively. Mark each item as reported or not applicable, watch your progress fill in, and make sure nothing is missing before you submit your systematic review. Your progress is saved in your browser as you go.

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0 reported0 not applicable27 remaining

Title

  • 1
    Title

    Identify the report as a systematic review.

Abstract

  • 2
    Abstract

    Provide a structured summary following the PRISMA 2020 for Abstracts checklist.

Introduction

  • 3
    Rationale

    Describe the rationale for the review in the context of existing knowledge.

  • 4
    Objectives

    Provide an explicit statement of the objective(s) or question(s) the review addresses.

Methods

  • 5
    Eligibility criteria

    Specify the inclusion and exclusion criteria and how studies were grouped for the syntheses.

  • 6
    Information sources

    Specify all databases, registers, websites, organisations, and other sources searched, with the date each was last searched.

  • 7
    Search strategy

    Present the full search strategy for all databases, registers, and websites, including any filters and limits used.

  • 8
    Selection process

    Specify the methods to decide whether a study met the criteria, how many reviewers screened each record, whether they worked independently, and any automation tools used.

  • 9
    Data collection process

    Specify the methods to collect data from reports, how many reviewers, whether independent, processes for obtaining data from investigators, and any automation.

  • 10
    Data items

    List and define the outcomes for which data were sought, and list and define all other variables for which data were sought.

  • 11
    Study risk of bias assessment

    Specify the tool(s) used to assess risk of bias, how many reviewers assessed each study, whether independent, and any automation.

  • 12
    Effect measures

    Specify the effect measure(s) used in the synthesis or presentation of results for each outcome.

  • 13
    Synthesis methods

    Describe how studies were grouped for synthesis, data preparation, tabulation, the synthesis method, exploration of heterogeneity, and sensitivity analyses.

  • 14
    Reporting bias assessment

    Describe any methods used to assess risk of bias due to missing results in a synthesis (publication bias).

  • 15
    Certainty assessment

    Describe any methods used to assess certainty in the body of evidence for an outcome, such as GRADE.

Results

  • 16
    Study selection

    Describe the search and selection results, ideally with a flow diagram, and cite studies that appeared to meet criteria but were excluded, with reasons.

  • 17
    Study characteristics

    Cite each included study and present its characteristics.

  • 18
    Risk of bias in studies

    Present assessments of risk of bias for each included study.

  • 19
    Results of individual studies

    For all outcomes, present for each study summary statistics and an effect estimate with its precision, ideally in a table or forest plot.

  • 20
    Results of syntheses

    Summarise the characteristics and risk of bias of contributing studies, present the synthesis results, investigate causes of heterogeneity, and present sensitivity analyses.

  • 21
    Reporting biases

    Present assessments of risk of bias due to missing results for each synthesis.

  • 22
    Certainty of evidence

    Present assessments of certainty in the body of evidence for each outcome assessed.

Discussion

  • 23
    Discussion

    Interpret the results in context, discuss limitations of the evidence and the review process, and discuss implications for practice, policy, and future research.

Other information

  • 24
    Registration and protocol

    Provide registration name and number (or state none), state where the protocol can be accessed (or that none was prepared), and describe any amendments.

  • 25
    Support

    Describe sources of financial or non-financial support for the review and the role of the funders.

  • 26
    Competing interests

    Declare any competing interests of the review authors.

  • 27
    Availability of data, code and other materials

    Report which of the following are publicly available and where: data collection forms, extracted data, analytic code, and other materials.

Item 16 asks for your study selection results, which reviewers expect to see as a flow diagram.

Build your PRISMA 2020 flow diagram free

How the PRISMA 2020 checklist is organised

The PRISMA 2020 checklist maps onto the standard sections of a research manuscript, so working through it in order mirrors the way you write the paper. The 27 items run from the title and abstract, through the introduction and a detailed methods section, into the results, the discussion, and a final other information block covering registration, funding, competing interests, and data availability.

The heaviest section is methods, items 5 to 15, because PRISMA 2020 expects you to report your eligibility criteria, every information source, the full search strategy, the selection and data collection processes, risk of bias methods, and how you synthesised and graded the evidence. Getting these right is what lets a reader judge whether your review is reproducible. For a full explanation of each requirement, our item-by-item guide to the PRISMA 2020 checklist walks through what every line asks for.

Where the flow diagram fits in

Item 16, study selection, sits in the results section and asks you to describe the outcome of your search and screening. Reviewers expect this as a PRISMA 2020 flow diagram showing records identified, duplicates removed, records screened and excluded, reports assessed for eligibility, and studies included. The checklist tells you the diagram is required; the diagram itself is a separate figure you build alongside the manuscript. You can produce it with the free flow diagram generator on this site and attach it against item 16.

How to use this checklist before submission

  1. Mark each item as reported once it is written. Tick an item only when the manuscript actually contains it, not when you intend to add it.
  2. Use not applicable sparingly and explain it. Some items genuinely will not apply, such as certainty assessment if you did not grade the evidence. State that in the text rather than leaving the item silent.
  3. Record the page or section number. Journals ask for the location of each item on the submitted checklist, so keep a note of where each one lives as you go.
  4. Reconcile item 16 with your flow diagram. The numbers in the diagram must match the selection narrative in your results.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 27 items in the PRISMA checklist?

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The 27 items are grouped by manuscript section: the title (item 1), abstract (item 2), introduction (rationale and objectives, items 3 to 4), methods (eligibility criteria through certainty assessment, items 5 to 15), results (study selection through certainty of evidence, items 16 to 22), discussion (item 23), and other information (registration and protocol, support, competing interests, and availability of data, items 24 to 27). The interactive checklist above lists every item with what it asks you to report.

How do you complete a PRISMA checklist?

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Work through each of the 27 items and, for every one, note the page or section of your manuscript where it is addressed. Mark an item as not applicable only when it genuinely does not apply, such as certainty assessment when none was performed, and state that explicitly in the text. Most journals ask you to submit the completed checklist as a supplementary file with the page numbers filled in.

What is the PRISMA 2020 checklist used for?

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The checklist is a reporting guideline that helps authors describe their systematic review transparently and completely. It does not assess the quality of the review itself; it ensures the manuscript reports the methods and results in enough detail for readers to appraise and reproduce the work. Most health and social science journals expect a completed checklist alongside the submission.

What does PRISMA stand for?

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PRISMA stands for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses. The 2020 version, published by Page and colleagues, updates the original 2009 statement to reflect current methods for searching, risk of bias assessment, and certainty of evidence.

What is the PRISMA-ScR checklist?

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PRISMA-ScR is a separate extension for scoping reviews, which map the breadth of evidence on a topic rather than answering a focused effectiveness question. It has its own 20-item checklist. The 27-item checklist on this page is for full systematic reviews and meta-analyses, so use PRISMA-ScR instead if your review is a scoping review.

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