I am conducting a systematic literature review and intend to follow the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, including the flow diagram. However, I have some confusion regarding two aspects:
Flow Diagram and Paper Count:
I searched and selected articles only through Google Scholar, and not from multiple structured databases like Scopus, Web of Science, or PubMed.
In this case, how do I accurately report the number of records identified, duplicates removed, and other steps shown in the PRISMA flow diagram?
Since Google Scholar does not indicate duplicates clearly, how should I handle or justify this in the diagram and methodology?
Repository Upload:
PRISMA suggests uploading a file in a public data repository containing the full search strategy and results.
What exactly should I upload (e.g., list of papers, search terms, inclusion/exclusion notes)?
Where can I upload it (any free and reliable repository you recommend)?
Any guidance, templates, or examples would be very helpful. Thank you in advance!
Google scholar is not a typical source for initial searches as it does not provide a total search yield in an export since users must choose articles manually. I recommend reconducting your search under Pubmed or another free to use database as files are easy to export and count. From there you can use review programs (ex. Rayyan), to sort for duplicates. Regarding the repository, this depends on the type of review and context of the paper. Check to see if the scopes of these registers line up with your review: PROSPERO, ResearchGate, Figshare, OSF Preprints.
You may want to use Publish or Perish software to search Google Scholar https://harzing.com/resources/publish-or-perish
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