Screen a trial record by checking its design, population, intervention, and outcome fields against each criterion in order and logging the first criterion it fails. ClinicalTrials.gov defines structured registration fields for study design, eligibility, interventions, and outcomes, so each criterion can be tied to a specific field in the record.
- Convert each eligibility criterion into a testable field check before opening records. For example, map a population criterion to the eligibility field, an intervention criterion to the intervention field, and a design criterion to the study design field. Expected result: a short checklist where every criterion names the field you will read.
- Read the record fields in a fixed order, such as design, population, intervention, then outcome. Compare each field to its criterion and stop at the first criterion the record fails. Expected result: one exclusion reason per excluded record, tied to the field that produced it.
- Record the decision, the failed criterion, and the field consulted for every screened record. Expected result: a reproducible screening log that another reviewer can recheck against the same fields.
- Keep records that pass all criteria and route unclear field entries to a second reviewer or the full text before deciding. Expected result: unresolved records stay flagged instead of being excluded on a guess.
Cochrane Handbook Chapter 4 covers planning searches, selecting sources, and managing records for systematic reviews, which sets the context for this screening step. ClinicalTrials.gov search filters by condition, intervention, status, study type, and dates, which can narrow the record set before field-level screening begins.