Before beginning the screening stage of a systematic review, authors should ensure that their review process is clearly planned and aligned with PRISMA 2020 reporting principles. This includes defining the research question and eligibility criteria, developing a comprehensive search strategy, identifying relevant databases and information sources, establishing a consistent screening process, and deciding how records, duplicates, exclusions, and reasons for exclusion will be documented. Authors should also plan how study selection will be reported through the PRISMA flow diagram and ensure that screening decisions can be tracked transparently. Preparing these elements in advance helps create a more systematic, reproducible, and transparent review process and makes the final manuscript easier to report accurately.
