In the systematic review process, what is the primary purpose of screening studies?

In the systematic review process, what is the primary purpose of screening studies?

• A. To prioritize studies for inclusion based on quality.
• B. To determine which studies meet predefined eligibility criteria.
• C. To extract data from included studies.
• D. To perform meta-analysis.

Answer: (B)

Screening in a systematic review is about applying predefined eligibility criteria to identify studies that could be included. This step serves as the initial filter, removing studies that clearly do not address the research question or fail to meet the criteria for population, intervention, comparators, outcomes, and study design. By narrowing down to studies that could plausibly contribute to answering the question, screening sets up a reliable full-text review and ensures that subsequent steps—data extraction and synthesis—are focused on relevant evidence. While quality and risk of bias are important, they are typically assessed after a study has passed the eligibility screen. In practice, screening is often done in two stages: first by title and abstract to exclude obviously irrelevant work, then by full text to confirm eligibility.

Screening in a systematic review is about applying predefined eligibility criteria to identify studies that could be included. This step serves as the initial filter, removing studies that clearly do not address the research question or fail to meet the criteria for population, intervention, comparators, outcomes, and study design. By narrowing down to studies that could plausibly contribute to answering the question, screening sets up a reliable full-text review and ensures that subsequent steps—data extraction and synthesis—are focused on relevant evidence. While quality and risk of bias are important, they are typically assessed after a study has passed the eligibility screen. In practice, screening is often done in two stages: first by title and abstract to exclude obviously irrelevant work, then by full text to confirm eligibility.