Hello Maria,

I'm afraid there isn't a way to automatically import the pdfs. The pdf is not part of the exported RIS file from Zotero so it would not be included in the import into EPPI-Reviewer.

We have looked at different ways of automating the import of pdfs into EPPI-Reviewer but each of them require a fair bit of pre-processing on the part of the user (such as renaming the pdfs to include the ID number in EPPI-Reviewer). Any of those methods appear to take as long (if not longer) than just importing the pdf so we haven't pursued that route any further.

If you have some thoughts on different ways to approach this we would always be happy to hear them.

Best regards,

Jeff 

Hello Maria,

Regarding your questions:

1. If you are going to have the same items in more than one review you can export the items from the first review and import them into the second review. Unfortunately, if pdfs have been uploaded to those items in the first review then will not come over to the second review. I can see where that would be a useful function and we are giving it some thought. In the meantime, if there was a large specific group of items that you were going to be bringing over to your second review, and they had pdfs uploaded, we might be able to create a script to avoid you having to upload the pdfs multiple times. If it is just a few items then it would be quicker to do it manually.

Another option, depending on how different your review questions are, is to work on all of your review questions in the same review (work area). If the different review questions were going to be using the same items then you could keep everything in the same review and keep the different questions separate using different screening and data extraction tools for each question. Many of our more complex reviews with multiple questions will be carried out this way if the same items (or mostly the same items) are relevant to the different questions.

2. You can run a search in the search tab for 'with at least one document uploaded'. This will let you know which items have pdfs uploaded to them. You could then create a retrieval coding tool to help you keep track of the items that have pdfs uploaded to them. Normally, we will assign a 'Not in file' code to the items we have screened on title and abstract and marked as include. Then, as we retrieve more pdf's for those 'included' items we will unmark the item as 'Not in file' and select the 'In file' code. You can see an example of a retrieval codeset in your example review.

Best regards,

Jeff

Hello Maria,

There isn't a tutorial for this approach as it would be very dependant on the relationship between your review questions. If the type of items required for each question was similar (i.e. the inclusion criteria for all of your questions was the same) then you could work with one screening tool. If they were quite different then you could have a screening tool for each question.

The same approach would apply to any mapping or data extraction tools that you would be using. I would imagine that you would have different data extraction tools for each review question but sometimes we will deal with different review questions in the same tool if all questions required the collection of the same information and the main difference was in the synthesis or the reporting of the findings. Small differences can be dealt with by having question specific sections in your data extraction tool.

If you think of EPPI-Reviewer as a tool to manage your review process (rather than being your review) then the ability to work on different review questions in the same review will make more sense. If you have questions about how to set this up in the software we should be able to help you.

Best regards,

Jeff 

Hello Maria,

I would bring all of your references into one review. I don't know what the status of your different reviews are but I think it would be quickest to bring everything into the same review and then run the duplicate checking to remove the overlapping items. If you know that all of the items in one review are already duplicated in the other then I wouldn't bring those items over.

Once all of your items are in the same review and you have run your duplicate checking you should be able to start applying your inclusion/exclusion criteria. If a single screening tool will accomplish this, that will be great. What might also be an idea is to include some inclusion codes in your screening tool that do a bit of separation/classification of the items so you know which review questions they might relate to. Normally I would discourage categorising items at the screening stage but in this situation it might make sense. 

Best regards,

Jeff

Hello Maria,

The  quickest/easiest way to merge two reviews depends on what work has already been carried out in those two review. If you haven't done any coding of the items in either review then you would just export the items out of one review and import them into the other review. You would then run duplicate checking so you only have one version of each item and then carry on with your project.

If only one review had some coding carried out you would probably want to bring the items from the other review into that one and then do the duplicate checking. 

If they both had work done in them then you would need be more methodical about the process. It would depend on the number of items we are talking about and the complexity of the coding that has taken place. You would  also need to decide whether you were going to have separate coding tools for the items in each review or combined their coding into one coding tool. That would decide on how you were going to bring over the items from the other review (i.e. you might want to bring them over in batches based on their existing coding). Sometimes, if the amount of coding that has already taken place is not large it might be quicker to just recreate it.  It really depends of what work you have already done in the two reviews.

If you let me know which reviews you are talking about merging I can help you determine the best way to proceed.

As for point 2, you would want to carry out your duplicate checking before you do any coding. Otherwise, you might find yourself coding items that will later be removed as a duplicate. If you already have coded items you can still carry out duplicate checking but you just need to be more aware of which item you make the duplicate and which one you make the master (i.e. you would want to make the already coded item the master). 

Best regards,

Jeff