Reconcile the identification, screening, and inclusion counts against your screening log to locate where the break occurs, then correct the diagram and its narrative. PRISMA 2020 supplies flow diagrams for reporting what studies were found and included, so the diagram should reflect the record trail your review actually produced.
- Export the screening log with one row per record and its stage status (identified, duplicate-removed, screened, excluded with reason, full-text assessed, included). Total each stage and compare it with the number printed in the corresponding diagram box. The first box where the totals diverge marks the break.
- Trace the break to its source: a record counted at identification but dropped before screening, an exclusion recorded without a reason, or a full-text assessment missing from the log. Confirm the cause against the log entries before editing any number.
- Correct the diagram so each box equals the log total for that stage, and update the narrative so the text and figure report the same counts and exclusion reasons.
- Document the reconciliation in a dated note: the stage where the break occurred, the cause, the old and new counts, and who made the correction. Keep the note with the review files so reviewers and co-authors can follow the change.
Cochrane Handbook Chapter 4 covers documenting searches and managing records for systematic reviews, which supports keeping the screening log as the reference for each diagram count.