What is PRISMA in a systematic literature review?
PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) is a standardised checklist and flow diagram for transparently reporting how you searched, screened and selected studies — making your systematic review reproducible and credible.
What PRISMA is for
PRISMA doesn't tell you how to do a review; it tells you how to report one so others can follow and reproduce your process. That transparency is what separates a systematic review from a narrative one.
The PRISMA flow diagram
The flow diagram tracks records through four stages — Identification (records found), Screening (titles/abstracts screened, duplicates removed), Eligibility (full texts assessed, with reasons for exclusion) and Included (studies in the final synthesis). Reviewers can see exactly how you went from thousands of hits to your final set.
The PRISMA checklist
The checklist (updated as PRISMA 2020) specifies items to report across the title, abstract, methods, results and discussion — including your search strategy, inclusion/exclusion criteria and synthesis method. Many journals now require PRISMA reporting for systematic reviews.
Key takeaways
- PRISMA standardises how you report a systematic review.
- Its flow diagram shows study selection at every stage.
- The checklist (PRISMA 2020) lists items to report.
- Many journals require PRISMA for systematic reviews.
People also ask
Is PRISMA mandatory?+
It isn't universally mandatory, but many journals require PRISMA-compliant reporting for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and reviewers increasingly expect it.
What is the PRISMA flow diagram?+
A four-stage diagram (identification, screening, eligibility, included) that transparently shows how studies were selected for your review.
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