Phase 13: Screening Profiles and Stage Settings¶
Release 3 -- Configurable Screening Phase 13 replaces the current one-size-fits-all screening model with named, reusable screening configurations.
Summary¶
Currently, SyRF screening is basic: include or exclude, with a single set of criteria for the entire project. This phase adds Screening Profiles -- named screening configurations with explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria -- and three agreement modes that control how individual reviewer decisions are aggregated into a final outcome. A unified Stage Settings model replaces scattered configuration options with a single, coherent settings panel per stage.
The Problem¶
SyRF's current screening model supports only a single, project-wide set of criteria. Teams conducting multi-stage reviews (for example, Title/Abstract screening followed by Full-Text screening) are forced into a workaround: creating separate SyRF projects for each screening phase, then manually exporting and re-importing studies between them. This fragments the audit trail, duplicates administrative effort, and makes collaboration harder.
Additionally, stage configuration is scattered across disconnected settings with no unified view. Administrators must navigate between multiple pages to configure what a stage does, how studies are presented, and what policies govern reviewer throughput.
What We Are Building¶
Screening Profiles¶
A Screening Profile is a named, reusable configuration containing:
- Criteria text: The inclusion and exclusion criteria that reviewers apply (e.g., "Include if: preclinical animal study, published after 2010, measures neurological outcome")
- Agreement mode: How individual reviewer decisions are aggregated
- Notes: Optional administrator context about the profile
Profiles are defined at the project level and assigned to one or more stages. A project can have multiple profiles -- for example, "Title/Abstract Criteria" for an initial screening stage and "Full-Text Eligibility Criteria" for a second stage -- enabling a complete multi-stage pipeline within a single project.
Three Agreement Modes¶
| Mode | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Single reviewer | One reviewer's decision is final | Large-scale rapid screening, low-risk decisions |
| Dual manual | Two reviewers decide independently; disagreements go to a third reviewer | Standard systematic review practice |
| Dual automated | Two reviewers decide; the system checks agreement automatically -- agreements are auto-resolved, disagreements enter reconciliation | High-throughput projects with clear criteria |
Immutable Once Used¶
Once any screening decision has been recorded against a profile, it becomes immutable. This protects scientific integrity: decisions are always traceable to the exact criteria under which they were made. To revise criteria, administrators clone the profile, edit the copy, and assign it to stages going forward. The original profile and all its decisions remain intact.
Unified Stage Settings¶
A single settings panel per stage covers:
- Review mode: What activities are enabled (screening, annotation, or both)
- Study selection mode: How screening and annotation combine when both are enabled
- Screening profile assignment: Which profile governs screening decisions
- Policy settings: Throughput controls (maximum concurrent studies per reviewer, target number of annotators per study), visibility rules, and reconciliation configuration
- Stage lifecycle: Active/inactive state controlling whether reviewers can work
All settings take effect immediately for subsequent study selections.
Why This Matters¶
Multi-stage screening pipelines are standard practice in systematic reviews. Without Screening Profiles, teams either abandon SyRF's screening infrastructure (losing its benefits) or create complex workarounds with multiple projects. Screening Profiles and unified Stage Settings make multi-stage reviews a first-class capability.
How It Connects¶
| Connection | Detail |
|---|---|
| Phase 8 (Project Groups) | Screener role assignment uses the same group-based permission model |
| Phase 12 (Deduplication) | Only unique, active studies enter screening pools |
| Phase 14 (Stage Filtering) | Filter rules reference Screening Profile outcomes to determine which studies appear in which stages |
| Phase 15 (Screening Annotations) | Structured exclusion reasons are linked to Screening Profiles |
For the platform architecture overview, see platform-architecture.md. For the full Screening Profiles specification, see README.md. For the Stage Settings specification, see Stage Settings.
Phase 12 (dedup) cleans the data. Phase 13 (profiles) configures screening criteria. Phase 14 (filtering) routes studies to stages. Phase 15 (screening) adds structured decisions. Phase 16 (export/PRISMA) delivers the output.