> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nested-knowledge.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nested-knowledge.com/review-workflow/screening/screen-records.md).

# Screen Records

Learn how to screen your records and what to expect in each mode.

Once you configure your screening mode and paradigm, use **Screen Records** to review each record and decide whether it belongs in your nest.

The core task stays the same across every setup. Your decision interface and review flow change with your screening mode, paradigm, and reviewer structure. Start with the core task, then read the sections that match your setup.

| Your setting                                    | What's different here                                                                          |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Criteria-Based Screening (the default)          | You answer each Yes/No criterion for the record instead of picking a reason.                   |
| Exclusion Reasons                               | You select Advance/Include, or the specific reason the record doesn't belong.                  |
| Dual Screening                                  | Every record needs two independent decisions before an admin adjudicates any disagreement.     |
| Two Pass Screening                              | You screen in two separate rounds — Abstract, then Full Text — instead of one.                 |
| Robot Screener or Smart Screener filling a seat | That seat's decision is generated automatically; you still screen your own seat independently. |

### The Core Task

1. Open **Screening** from the navigation menu.
2. Review the record.
3. Answer the criteria, if applicable.
4. Record your decision.
5. Continue to the next record.

{% hint style="info" %}
To import decisions, see [**Import Screening Decisions**](/review-workflow/screening/import-screening-decisions.md).
{% endhint %}

### What A Decision Looks Like

In **Criteria-Based Screening**, answer each Abstract Screening or Full Text Screening criterion with **Yes** or **No**. The responses inform the record’s decision. Select **Advance/Include** or **Exclude** for the listed reason.

<figure><img src="https://305208404-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fxb7uNGATUgwQAjDVQRXG%2Fuploads%2FTa08VykwHhjfunHGAJ9M%2Fcbs.png?alt=media&amp;token=4327f8c3-04dd-4d19-92df-bd871d94658b" alt="Criteria-Based Screening record view showing Yes and No responses for screening criteria, plus Advance/Include and Exclude decision controls."><figcaption><p>Criteria-Based Screening uses criterion responses to support your record decision.</p></figcaption></figure>

Answering criteria doesn't move the record on. Select a decision to move to the next record.

In **Exclusion Reasons**, select **Advance/Include**. To exclude the record, select the applicable exclusion reason.

<figure><img src="https://305208404-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fxb7uNGATUgwQAjDVQRXG%2Fuploads%2FpP9KSNju6kWToppd2vM8%2Fexclusion%20reason%20screening.png?alt=media&amp;token=eff931a8-2fe1-41a5-8fa7-f934a1db9f74" alt="Exclusion Reasons record view showing the Advance/Include control and a list of exclusion reasons."><figcaption><p>Exclusion Reasons lets you advance a record or select why it is excluded.</p></figcaption></figure>

See [Criteria-Based Screening](/review-workflow/screening/criteria-based-screening.md) or [Exclusion Reasons](/review-workflow/screening/exclusion-based-screening.md) to set up your paradigm.

### Understanding The Workspace

<details>

<summary>What's on the page</summary>

The **Screening** page has three working areas. Move through the record in the center, make decisions in the right panel, and use the left panel to navigate.

<figure><img src="https://305208404-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fxb7uNGATUgwQAjDVQRXG%2Fuploads%2FbYzWX5xNgbZPp5j7J40U%2Fstudy%20view.png?alt=media&amp;token=d83956ab-2e99-44ce-915a-bb49c069efc7" alt="Screening workspace with navigation on the left, a record in the center, and decision controls on the right."><figcaption><p>The Screening workspace combines record review, navigation, and decision controls.</p></figcaption></figure>

#### Navigate And Identify The Record

The left navigation panel takes you between review areas. The record header shows its title, **Ref ID**, author, and year. Select the **Ref ID** to copy the study link.

#### Review The Record

The center workspace shows the title and abstract. Use the tabs to open **Abstract**, **Full Text**, **Supplements**, and **Related Reports**. The upper-right options include external sources, such as PubMed, DOI, and Google Scholar.

Below the abstract, turn on **RoboPICO** to highlight PICO terms. Turn on **Your Keywords** to highlight your keywords, then select text to edit them. The scite\_ panel shows citation context. See [**Integrations**](/integrations/install-and-manage-integrations.md#integrations-that-need-no-setup). You can also edit the record’s keywords and bibliographic fields.

#### Make Decisions And Manage The Review

The right panel contains the background jobs icon, screening progress, and **AskAI**. Use **Navigation** to skip a record or revisit a prior decision.

Use **Screening** to answer criteria or record decisions. Use **Questions** for configured tag questions; in Standard Tagging Mode this is **Tagging**. [See below for preliminary tagging during screening.](#applying-tags-in-screening)

Use **Comments** to create, view, and resolve comments. See [**Comments**](/collaborate/comments.md). Use **History** to view the record’s history.

</details>

### If You're In Dual Screening

Every record needs a decision from both reviewer seats before it reaches adjudication. Each seat screens independently and can't see the other decision. The second seat can be a human reviewer, **Robot Screener**, or **Smart Screener**. Your decision is reviewer-level: it doesn't count in your nest's results until it's adjudicated. In Criteria-Based Screening, a record leaves your queue only once you record a decision, even if you've answered every criterion.

When decisions disagree, a human adjudicator resolves the record. In Single Screening, your decision is final once you make it. See [Adjudicate Records.](/review-workflow/screening/adjudicate-records.md)

### If You're In Two Pass Screening

You use **Screen Records** twice. During Abstract Screening, decide whether each record advances to full text or is excluded. During Full Text Screening, decide the record’s final status. Standard Screening combines this work into one pass.

An exclusion during Abstract Screening is final. The record doesn’t reach Full Text Screening. Two Pass Screening filters records before full-text review.

### When A Reviewer Seat Is Automated

If **Robot Screener** or **Smart Screener** fills the second seat, it generates that seat’s decision. You still screen your own seat independently. A human adjudicator resolves disagreements.

In Criteria-Based Screening, **Smart Screener** records its seat's decision by a fixed rule based on its criteria answers. If your nest switched from Single to Dual Screening after **Smart Screener** ran, run it again so it appears as a reviewer.

See [Robot Screener](/review-workflow/screening/exclusion-based-screening/robot-screener.md) or [Smart Screener](/review-workflow/screening/criteria-based-screening/smart-screener.md) for how each tool works.

### Working With Full Texts And Related Records

<details open>

<summary>Full Text Import</summary>

Before Full Text Screening, import full texts in bulk. Open **Full Text Import** from the navigation menu. Select **Import** under open access, then under ClinicalTrials.gov, if applicable.

For proprietary texts, download the remaining-record list for retrieval. Source the files externally, then select **Import** under **Upload from my device**. Records can match by bibliographic data, **Reference ID**, or **External ID**.

See [Full Text Import](/review-workflow/screening/full-text-import.md).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Related Reports and Supplements</summary>

Mark related reports—multiple reports of one study—so they are grouped rather than double-counted. Confirm or reject flagged duplicates in [**Duplicate Review**](/review-workflow/literature-search/duplicate-review.md). Do this on the **Related Reports** tab of a study record.

Upload supplements individually.

#### Related Reports

When a clinical trial has multiple papers, mark extra papers as related reports of one primary study. This keeps unique studies and total reports separate in your PRISMA diagram.

1. Open the **Related Reports** tab in **Screening** or **Study Inspector**.
2. Search by title, author, year, **Reference ID**, or existing family name.
3. Select the report.
4. Select **Mark Related**.
5. Choose the primary report.
6. Optionally name the group as a **Related Report Family**.

For an unmerged duplicate, select **Mark Duplicate** instead.

Use **Bibliomine NCT** to search PubMed for additional ClinicalTrials.gov reports. Filter related report families later in **Study Inspector**.

Tags capture data, rather than only labeling studies. Applying a tag to one related report shows an **RR** icon on the others and links to the source. This is informational. Apply tags to each record individually.

</details>

### Applying Tags In Screening

Tags in Nested Knowledge can be created and applied any time after records are in a nest, including during Screening. Use [Core Smart Tags](/review-workflow/tagging/ai-tools-in-tagging/core-smart-tags.md) to extract PICOs, Study Type, Location and Size from study abstracts to view alongside screening or [create tags](/review-workflow/tagging/configure-tagging.md) manually to sort studies as you screen.

For best viewing experience of tags during Screening, open [Nest Settings](/your-nests/nest-settings.md) and toggle Standard Tagging mode. No data is lost when you switch between modes. Now in Screening, open the Tagging tab beneath your Screening criteria to apply tags and view a list of applied tags.

<figure><img src="https://305208404-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fxb7uNGATUgwQAjDVQRXG%2Fuploads%2FNFoV2JalvL1ouarv7oeW%2Fcriteria%20based%20screening.png?alt=media&amp;token=930b19ae-dcd1-445e-960f-7c4a57d170b5" alt="Screening workspace with the Tagging tab open beneath the screening criteria and a list of applied tags."><figcaption><p>Use the Tagging tab during Screening to apply and review tags.</p></figcaption></figure>

### FAQs

<details>

<summary>How do I undo or alter a screening decision?</summary>

Use **Back** in the screening queue. You can also find the record in **Study Inspector**. Confirm the correct screening mode: **AB** or **FT**, and **You** or **Adjudicate**.

Select **Reset** <i class="fa-rotate-left">:rotate-left:</i> to unscreen the record. Then select a different decision.

Use bulk actions to unscreen multiple records. See [**Bulk Actions in Study Inspector**](/review-workflow/study-inspector/bulk-actions.md).

</details>

<details>

<summary>I found a duplicate that wasn't removed. How do I mark it as one?</summary>

On the study page, select **Related Reports.** Search for the original study, then **Mark Duplicate.**

</details>

<details>

<summary>I want to link a secondary study to a primary study. How do I do this?</summary>

On the study page, select **Related Reports.** Search for the original study, then **Mark Related.** Both studies will be displayed and you can check one as Primary.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Are keyboard shortcuts available?</summary>

Yes, but only in **Exclusion-based Screening**. Press **Ctrl+Shift+S** to activate shortcuts. Use **A** to advance during **Abstract Screening**, **I** to include during **Full Text Screening**, and number keys **1–9** for your first nine exclusion reasons.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens if my co-reviewer and I disagree?</summary>

The record goes to a human adjudicator. This applies whether the second seat is a human reviewer, **Robot Screener**, or **Smart Screener**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What if a record is flagged as a duplicate but I think it's actually relevant?</summary>

Confirm or reject the duplicate flag in [**Duplicate Review**](/review-workflow/literature-search/duplicate-review.md).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is a record still in my queue after I answered every criterion?</summary>

In Criteria-Based Screening, only a screening decision moves a record out of a queue. Select **Advance/Include** or **Exclude** to record one.

</details>

### Next Steps

<table data-card-size="large" data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><i class="fa-scale-balanced">:scale-balanced:</i><br><strong>Adjudicate Records</strong></td><td>Resolve disagreements in Dual Screening.</td><td><a href="/review-workflow/screening/adjudicate-records.md">Adjudicate Records</a></td></tr><tr><td><i class="fa-file-import">:file-import:</i><br><strong>Full Text Import</strong></td><td>Import full texts before Full Text Screening.</td><td><a href="/review-workflow/screening/full-text-import.md">Full Text Import</a></td></tr><tr><td><i class="fa-file-import">:file-import:</i><br><strong>Import Screening Decisions</strong></td><td>Import decisions from another system.</td><td><a href="/review-workflow/screening/import-screening-decisions.md">Import Screening Decisions</a></td></tr><tr><td><i class="fa-tags">:tags:</i><br><strong>Tagging</strong></td><td>Capture data from included records.</td><td><a href="/review-workflow/tagging.md">Tagging</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


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