How do I audit retrieved studies against a PRISMA flow record?

You check it by reconciling each stage of the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram against your search log so that every retrieved record is either carried forward or explicitly excluded with a reason. PRISMA 2020 provides a checklist and flow diagrams for transparent reporting of why a systematic review was done, what methods were used, and what studies were found and included. The flow diagram is the reporting structure; your search log is the record that must populate it.

Map the log onto the diagram stages

1. Records identified. Count every record your searches returned across each source, and keep the per-source counts. The Cochrane Handbook describes documenting searches and managing records for systematic reviews, so the log should show where each record came from.
2. Duplicates removed. Record how many records were removed as duplicates before screening. The number identified minus duplicates removed should equal the records entering screening.
3. Records screened. Enter the count that entered title/abstract screening. This should match the previous stage's remainder.
4. Records excluded at screening. Record the number excluded and the reasons. Screened minus excluded should equal the reports sought for retrieval.
5. Reports sought and not retrieved. Record reports you attempted to obtain and could not, with reasons.
6. Reports assessed for eligibility. Enter the count assessed in full text. This should equal reports sought minus those not retrieved.
7. Studies included. Record the final included count and the reasons for full-text exclusions. Assessed minus excluded should equal included.

Check for gaps

At each stage, the arithmetic should close: the incoming count equals the outgoing count plus exclusions. If a stage does not reconcile, the missing records sit between the last stage that balanced and the first that did not. Return to the search log for that interval and identify which records lack a screening decision or exclusion reason. If a record's status remains unresolved after that check, verify it against the source database record before submitting the review.

PubMed's field tags, filters, Advanced Search, and saved searches can help you re-run or refine a search to locate records that appear to be missing from the log. WisPaper Scholar Search is a public entry point for finding academic papers if you need to trace a specific record.