Resource guide
PRISMA examples and charts
Use PRISMA when you need to explain how records were found, screened, excluded and included in a literature review or systematic-style review.
Quick answer
The full guide shows how the PRISMA flow works, what each stage means and how to connect the chart to your search strategy.
Use this when
Use this when you need to explain how records were found, screened, excluded and included in a literature review or systematic-style review.
What this helps with
Understand how a PRISMA chart explains the search and screening process behind a literature review.
Search for PRISMA chart examples, systematic-review resources, literature-search summaries, screening criteria and nursing research examples. If a close match is not available, use the request route for a reviewed resource pack or similar brief.
Framework and structure
Step 1
Define the review type and check whether PRISMA is appropriate for the assignment.
Step 2
Explain search sources, screening stages, inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Step 3
Connect the flow of records to the final evidence base without inventing counts.
Common mistakes
- Treating every literature review as a full PRISMA review.
- Inventing screening counts instead of matching the search process.
- Copying an example diagram without understanding what each stage means.