PRISMA 2020 Systematic Review Kit: Excel template with automatic flow diagram + step-by-step guide (social sciences and education)

Doing a systematic review for your dissertation has one very practical problem: between searches, duplicates, screening and full-text reading, it is easy to lose count and end up with a flow diagram that does not add up.

How it works

This kit gives you a system to record everything as you work:

• An Excel template in English with one sheet per stage. Drop-down lists prevent typing errors. The count sheet calculates every figure in the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram (records identified, duplicates, screened, excluded, not retrieved, assessed, exclusion reasons, studies and reports included) and runs 12 consistency checks that warn you if something does not add up.
• A 15-page step-by-step guide in Word (also supplied as PDF), with generic examples from the social sciences and education: how to frame the question with PICo or PICOC, how to write eligibility criteria, how to build and log search strings, how to screen, how to appraise quality with the MMAT 2018 without falling into the "overall score" trap, and how to synthesise.
• A template for the Methods section and for the first paragraph of the Results, to adapt to your own review.
• Common mistakes to avoid in front of your examiners and a final checklist.
• How to declare the use of AI if your university requires it, with an adaptable model declaration.

Based on the PRISMA 2020 statement (Page et al., 2021, BMJ, 372, n71) and the MMAT version 2018 (Hong et al., 2018, Education for Information, 34(4), 285-291). The flow diagram uses the wording of the original English PRISMA 2020 template. All templates are blank and contain no data from any real review.

Important: this is a support tool. It does not do the review or write your dissertation for you, it does not guarantee a pass, and it does not replace your supervisor or your university's regulations.

What's included

• Kit_PRISMA_EN.xlsx: 11 working sheets (instructions, PICo/PICOC protocol, IC/EC criteria, search log, title and abstract screening for up to 1,000 records, full-text assessment with exclusion reasons for up to 300 reports, data extraction, MMAT quality appraisal, MMAT criteria summary, PRISMA count and flow diagram).
• Guide_PRISMA_EN.docx: 15-page editable guide (Times New Roman).
• Guide_PRISMA_EN.pdf: the same guide in PDF.

Formats: .xlsx (tested in LibreOffice Calc; designed for Excel) and .docx (Word or LibreOffice Writer).

Who it is for

• Bachelor's and master's students writing a systematic review as their dissertation, or as part of it, in education, pedagogy, social work, educational psychology and other social sciences.
• Students who already have a topic and a supervisor and need an orderly method and a record their examiners can follow.
• Not for: anyone looking for someone to do the work for them, meta-analyses (no statistical calculations included), or clinical reviews that require specific risk-of-bias tools (RoB 2, ROBINS-I...).

FAQ

Does it guarantee a pass?

No. It is an organisation tool and a support guide. The quality of your work depends on your search, your analysis and your supervisor's guidance.

Is it useful if my university does not require PRISMA?

Yes, as an orderly recording method, but check with your supervisor which type of review and which reporting guideline they expect. For a scoping review there is a specific extension (PRISMA-ScR) that this kit does not cover in detail.

I already screen with Rayyan (or another tool). Can I still use it?

Yes. The count sheet has a "Manual value" column for your own figures; the diagram and the checks keep working.

Does it work in Google Sheets or Numbers?

It has been tested in LibreOffice Calc and is designed for Excel. It uses standard formulas (SUM, COUNTIF, COUNTIFS, SUMPRODUCT) that should also work in Google Sheets, but it has not been tested in Google Sheets or Numbers.

Can I use it with AI?

The kit does not use AI. The guide explains how to declare the use of AI if your university allows and requires it, and reminds you to check its regulations first.

Disclaimer

This kit is a support tool for organising and documenting a systematic review. It does not carry out the review, does not write your dissertation, does not guarantee a pass and does not replace your supervisor's guidance or your university's regulations. The examples are generic and invented for teaching purposes. It is an independent product, not affiliated with or endorsed by the authors of PRISMA 2020 or the MMAT; for the final version of your work, consult the official documents.

Note: this version was translated with AI assistance and has not been reviewed by a native speaker; please tell us about any error.

Support template; it does not replace your supervisor's judgement.