# Screening studies: inclusion criteria, dual review, and conflict resolution

> Chapter 4 of 8 of The Systematic Review E-book by AIPRA. Screening decides which retrieved records enter the review, judged against explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria derived from the research question. Screening normally proceeds in two phases: title and abstract screening filters the bulk of irrelevant citations, then full-text screening applies the same eligibility rules to complete articles for records marked include or unclear. In multi-reviewer projects, conflicting votes should be resolved by a predefined rule, commonly adjudication by a third senior reviewer who was not part of the initial pair.

- Source: https://aipra.co/systematic-review-ebook/screening
- Topics: systematic review screening; inclusion and exclusion criteria; title and abstract screening; full text screening; dual independent screening; screening conflict resolution
- Last updated: 2026-09-05
- Licence: free to read; cite as shown at the end of this file.

## Key points

- Screening always starts from explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria; those criteria are the benchmark every record is judged against.
- Phase 1 screens title and abstract with include, exclude, or unclear decisions. Phase 2 applies the same criteria to full text for anything included or unclear.
- Criteria must be stated explicitly so every reviewer applies the same standard, which is what makes screening reproducible.
- Conflicts between reviewers should be resolved by a predefined rule — commonly a third, senior reviewer who adjudicates independently.
- AI-assisted screening can suggest include or exclude decisions with rationale, but reviewers remain responsible for final decisions under the protocol.

## Chapter outline

1. Defining inclusion and exclusion criteria
2. Assisted screening and recommendations
3. Two screening phases
4. Resolving disagreements between reviewers

## Questions this chapter answers

### What are the two stages of systematic review screening?

The first stage is title and abstract screening, where reviewers decide include, exclude, or unclear using only the citation metadata. The second stage is full-text screening, where every record marked include or unclear is read in full and judged against the same eligibility criteria.

### How do you resolve screening disagreements between reviewers?

Set the rule before screening begins. The usual approach is adjudication by a third, senior reviewer who was not part of the original pair, which keeps decisions transparent and reduces bias from repeated discussion between the disagreeing reviewers.

### Can AI be used to screen studies for a systematic review?

AI can prioritize or recommend include and exclude decisions with supporting rationale, and is increasingly used as a first-pass filter or as a second screener. Human oversight remains required: reviewers verify recommendations against protocol criteria, and AI use should be reported transparently in the manuscript.

### What should inclusion and exclusion criteria specify?

Criteria typically specify the population, intervention or exposure, comparator, and outcomes, plus eligible study designs and any limits on language, publication date, or setting. They should map cleanly onto both your screening form and your reported PRISMA counts.

## How to cite this chapter

AIPRA. Screening studies: inclusion criteria, dual review, and conflict resolution. In: The Systematic Review E-book. Updated 2026-09-05. Available from: https://aipra.co/systematic-review-ebook/screening