

, but this process is rather complicated and time-consuming.

A method for the inclusion process using EndNote is described by King et al. Some libraries have even created specialized Excel workbooks to document the process in much detail.

This dominance on the market is likely to increase as sales of the second most popular tool, Reference Manager, have ceased, and its website now advises users to switch to EndNote. A survey in 2013 showed that more than half of all systematic reviewers used EndNote software. The Cochrane collaboration uses its own tool called ReviewManager. Several specialized solutions for this process are available, most notably free or subscription-based online tools such as Covidence, DistillerSR, or Rayyan. Today, the workflow of the review process is more streamlined by using computer software. In the past, this was performed by manually scanning through large stacks of printed titles and abstracts, followed by face-to-face meetings to discuss which references should be included. An important task in conducting a systematic review is reading titles and abstracts of the retrieved references, which often number in the thousands, to determine which articles meet the predefined inclusion criteria.
