PRISMA 2020 Flow Diagram Generator
Type the counts from your systematic review. The diagram draws itself as you type, checks that every box adds up, and downloads as a high-resolution PNG or an SVG.
Fill in your counts; the diagram updates as you type.
How to use it
- Identification. List each database with its record count, one per line (for example
MEDLINE: 812), or type one total. Add register records and the records removed before screening. - Screening. Enter records screened and excluded, reports sought, not retrieved and assessed. List the reasons reports were excluded, one per line with a count.
- Included. Enter the number of studies and of reports included. One study can have several reports.
- Other methods (optional). If you also searched websites, organisations or reference lists, open the second column and fill it in.
- Check the warnings, then download. Fix any count the checker flags before you submit.
The arithmetic reviewers check
A PRISMA diagram is a set of subtractions, and peer reviewers do redo them. The checks this tool runs are the ones that most often fail in submitted manuscripts:
- Records screened = records identified − duplicates − records removed by automation − records removed for other reasons.
- Reports sought = records screened − records excluded.
- Reports assessed = reports sought − reports not retrieved.
- Reports of included studies = reports assessed − reports excluded (the sum of your exclusion reasons).
- Studies included can be smaller than reports included, never larger.
When a count disagrees, the diagram still shows exactly what you typed, and the warning tells you which box and what value the others imply. Usually the mistake is a step you forgot to record, such as duplicates removed in a second round of deduplication.
Records versus reports versus studies
PRISMA 2020 separates three things the 2009 version blurred. A record is a title and abstract from a database search. A report is a full document (an article, a conference abstract, a trial registry entry) that you retrieved and read. A study is the investigation itself, which may be described in several reports. Count records at the screening stage, reports at the eligibility stage, and both studies and reports at the end.
Citing the template
Cite the PRISMA 2020 statement in your methods: Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ 2021;372:n71. doi:10.1136/bmj.n71.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the official PRISMA 2020 template?
It follows the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for new systematic reviews which included searches of databases, registers and other sources (Page MJ et al. BMJ 2021;372:n71), with the "other methods" column optional. The template is published under CC BY 4.0 and the diagram carries the attribution.
What does the arithmetic check do?
Every box that can be computed from the boxes above it is checked. If records screened is not records identified minus records removed, or reports assessed is not reports sought minus reports not retrieved, a warning names the box and the number it should be. Your numbers are never changed silently.
Can I leave boxes empty?
Yes. A box that can be worked out from the others is filled in and marked as derived, so you can check it. Boxes that cannot be computed are left blank.
Which format should I download?
PNG for Word and most journal submission systems; it is rendered at about three times screen resolution so it stays sharp in print. SVG if your journal or LaTeX workflow accepts vector graphics.
Are my counts sent anywhere?
No. The diagram is drawn entirely in your browser; nothing you type here leaves your computer.