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Systematic Review, Scoping Review and Met-Analysis: Covidence

Navigating Literature Reviews: A Comprehensive Guide

What is Covidence

Covidence is a web-based software platform that streamlines the production of systematic literature reviews. It supports reference screening, full-text review, risk of bias assessment, data extraction, and the export of data and references.

The interface is intuitive and suitable for all levels of reviewers. Covidence can save time on repetitive review tasks, enabling faster review production and more time for analysis and interpretation.

Why join the institutional access to Covidence?

  • Unlimited references for each review
  • Unlimited number of reviewers for each review
  • Full access to all the functions and features

How to join the institutional licence account

Only the approved university email domain (@unisa.ac.za) can request an email invitation to join:

  1. Go to - request your invitation page: <https://app.covidence.org/organizations/3LPP4/signup>
  2. Enter your information (using your university email address: @unisa.ac.za) and click the "Request Invitation" link. 
  3. Accept the invitation in your email - check your spam folder if the invitation doesn't arrive in a few minutes. Please also keep in mind that the link is for one-time use and will expire in ~30 days. 
  4. Sign in if you already have an existing Covidence account with your university email address or sign up for a new user account (using your university email address).

This will automatically link you to the institutional licence

 

Starting a review with the institutional licence account:

  1. Sign in to Covidence <https://www.covidence.org/sign_in>
  2. Click on the 'Start a new review' button.'UN/SA - Institutional-wide licence (till 16th May 2025)'.
  3. 'Which account do you want to use?', make sure to select -

 

Resources

  • Covidence Knowledge Base: Access the for tutorials, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides.

  • UNISA Library: Contact the UNISA Library for additional support and resources related to systematic reviews and Covidence.

  • Workshops and Training: Attend workshops and training sessions offered by UNISA to enhance your skills in using Covidence and conducting systematic reviews.