Below is a list of selected AI tools for Systematic Reviews and evidence synthesis. This list is not exhaustive; it includes tools I have personally tried or learned about from librarians and evidence review experts. Some tools are free, while others require purchase or a subscription.
Review planning
TERA Scoping Wizard (free): Step-by-step guide for writing systematic review methods.
Generative AI Tools
When planning your review, generative AI tools such as the ones listed below can provide a helpful starting point. Use GenAI to generate ideas or search terms. Some tools feature ‘deep research” modes that can assist in identifying well-studied areas and gaps in the research.
If you are struggling to identify a topic, try a prompt like this one:
I am a healthcare researcher developing a systematic review protocol. My broad area of interest is [Insert Topic, e.g., GLP-1 agonists for adolescent obesity].
Please use the PICO framework to break this topic into two distinct variations:
- A narrow, clinical intervention focus.
- A broader, public health or ‘real-world’ effectiveness focus.
Here are three GenAI tools I have personally tried, all of which offer free, limited versions.
ChatGPT (free/paid)
Gemini (free/paid)
Perplexity (free/paid)
Searching
Exploratory Searching
Explore relevant literature and familiarize yourself with the topic to develop an effective expert search strategy.
Consensus (free/paid)
Undermind (free/paid)
Embase AI (paid): Translates a natural language into a search query that you can edit and copy.
Literature Mapping
Literature maps are visual tools that illustrate the relationships between different publications.
Connected Papers (free/paid)
Litmaps (free/paid)
ResearchRabbit (free/paid)
Other Tools
citationchaser (free): Citation chasing is the meticulous process of identifying all sources referenced by the studies chosen for inclusion. With citationchaser, you submit your list of selected studies, and the tool will generate downloadable lists of articles that are cited by these studies, as well as articles that cite your selected studies.
Polyglot (free): Quickly translate your MEDLINE/PubMed search for searching other databases. Note that the tool does not translate subject headings. You will need to consult database-specific thesauri to find the appropriate subject terms for each database.
Screening
Screening is where I see the most potential for AI tools. “Priority screening” in systematic reviews employs machine learning to rank search results based on their predicted relevance. By focusing on records with the highest likelihood of relevance, this approach enables reviewers to identify the most pertinent papers sooner, often allowing them to stop reviewing before examining every citation.
ASReview (free)
Rayyan (free/paid)
Covidence (paid): Covidence excels at identifying Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
EPPI-Reviewer (paid)
PICO Portal (paid)
Data Extraction
These tools transition from PDFs to structured data, using Large Language Models (LLMs) to automatically interpret full-text PDFs and extract specific data points, such as population demographics, intervention specifics, and statistical results, into structured formats like CSV files. However, they may encounter difficulties with data embedded in images.
ChatPDF (free/paid)
PICO Portal (paid) https://picoportal.org/
SciSpace (paid)
Risk of Bias (ROB) /Critical Appraisal
These tools identify the relevant information in a PDF and suggest scores. Humans need to make the final call.
RobotRevierwer (free)
PICO Portal (paid)
ChatGPT/Claude (free): This study supports using GenAI tools, specifically ChatGPT and Claude ROB assessment.
Guidelines
Responsible use of AI in evidence SynthEsis (RAISE): Guidance and Recommendations: An international initiative offering a three-part framework to ensure the ethical, transparent, and rigorous integration of AI in research synthesis. It directs the development, assessment, and use of AI tools, emphasizing that they should support, not undermine, scientific integrity, with particular attention to human oversight.
Learn More
Farhad Shokraneh on Medium: Dr. Shokraneh frequently shares insights on systematic reviews and the application of AI in this field.
AI Tools in Evidence Synthesis: Research Guide by Kings College London Library
Health Bytes – Navigating Systematic Reviews with AI: Best Practices and Challenges (Apr 9, 2025): Webinar hosted by the Network of the National Library of Medicine
Gemini Chat: This chat was used to plan this post and includes additional tools and resources not included in the final version posted.
Get in Touch
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