How do I set up a living-review update log for winter-health evidence?

Build a living-review update log by fixing your search strings and date windows in a protocol file, then recording each rerun cycle with what changed, why, and which records entered or left. Cochrane guidance on planning searches, documenting them, and managing records, together with PRISMA 2020 reporting of what was found and included, gives the structure for that log.

Define the fixed protocol first

Write one protocol file that a new team member can execute without prior context. It should contain:

• The exact search string for each source, copied verbatim so reruns match.
• The date window for each cycle, stated as a start and end date.
• The list of sources searched, including databases and reference-list checks.
• The inclusion criteria and the fields you will extract from each record.
• The log template with one entry per update cycle.

Cochrane describes planning searches, selecting sources, developing search strategies, searching reference lists and other sources, documenting searches, and managing records. Each of those activities maps to a section of the protocol file.

Run each update cycle in order

1. Copy the previous cycle's search string and date window into the new cycle, changing only the end date to the rerun date. Record the exact string and window in the new log entry.
2. Run the search in each listed source and export the results with the export date. For OpenAlex, use the search endpoint to match text across entity fields and filters to narrow works by attributes such as dates, so the date window is applied consistently.
3. Compare the new export against the previous cycle's records and mark each record as retained, added, or removed. Note the reason for each change.
4. Screen the added records against the inclusion criteria and record the decision for each one.
5. Update the PRISMA-style counts of records found and included so the flow from search to inclusion stays traceable.

What each log entry records

Each entry should state the cycle date, the search string and date window used, the sources searched, the number of records found, the records added or removed with reasons, and the screening decisions. PRISMA 2020 asks reviews to report why the review was done, what methods were used, and what studies were found and included; the log entry carries those answers forward from cycle to cycle.

Hand-off check

Before closing a cycle, confirm that a new team member could rerun the same search from the protocol file alone. If a string, date window, or source is missing, add it before the next cycle starts.