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SPECIFICTION
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SyRF

syrf.org.uk

Free plan Web
Visit syrf.org.uk
Spec score 7.1 #26 of 30 in Systematic Review Software

What it is

SyRF is a web platform for researchers conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of preclinical studies. It supports collaborative projects, configurable workflows, study screening, annotation, data extraction, and educational guidance. By default, two reviewers assess studies against inclusion and exclusion criteria, with a third reviewer handling disagreements. Student projects can enable single screening, though the guide does not recommend it for journal-bound reviews. Administrators create annotation questions and assign them to workflow stages; graph extraction requires data extraction and annotation together. Studies and associated data, including quantitative results for analysis in R or SAS, can be downloaded. References must be deduplicated and supplied as EndNote Desktop XML or CSV. Full-text PDFs may be linked, but users provide the files separately for SyRF staff to process and store. Projects can be public or private, and each project currently supports one criteria set. SyRF is free online, with a minimum feature set under continuous development.

Spec sheet

Purpose
SyRF supports evidence synthesis and systematic reviews of preclinical research, including storing extracted data and providing educational resources and guidance.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Intended users
SyRF is intended for researchers conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of preclinical studies.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Support
The guide directs users to contact the SyRF Help Desk for help with manual screening-disagreement reconciliation.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Annotation
Project administrators can build annotation questions and assign them to review stages.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Collaboration
Researchers can collaborate on projects and tailor project workflows to their needs.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Data export
Project administrators can download studies and associated data, including quantitative data for analysis in software such as R or SAS.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Data extraction
Data extraction for graphs requires enabling data extraction alongside annotation in a project stage.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Developer and funding
CAMARADES developed SyRF with initial funding from the UK National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Known workflow limit
A project currently supports only one set of inclusion and exclusion criteria.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
PDF handling
Full-text PDFs can be linked to studies, but users must provide the PDFs separately for the SyRF team to process and store.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Project visibility
Projects can be public or private; public project names and descriptions are visible to other SyRF users.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Reference imports
SyRF accepts deduplicated references as EndNote Desktop XML or CSV; XML exports from EndNote Web or other software are not compatible.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Screening
Reviewers can screen studies against project inclusion and exclusion criteria, with two independent screeners and a third reviewer for disagreements by default.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk
Single screening limit
Single screening can be enabled for student projects; the guide does not recommend it for reviews intended for journal publication.Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk

Plans and prices

SyRF Free Freely available online platform; feature set is described as minimum and under continuous development Read 3 Oct 2026 · help.syrf.org.uk

Every SyRF plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free online platform
  • Two-reviewer screening by default
  • Collaborative and customizable workflows
  • Exports data for R or SAS
  • Supports public or private projects

Limits

  • Only one inclusion-criteria set per project
  • References must be deduplicated first
  • EndNote Web XML is incompatible
  • Single screening is discouraged for journal reviews

Who it suits

SyRF is intended for researchers performing systematic reviews and meta-analyses of preclinical research. It suits teams needing shared screening, extraction, and export workflows.

Verdict

SyRF provides a structured workspace for preclinical evidence synthesis, from screening through export. It is freely available, but its documented workflow and reference-format constraints should shape project setup.

Where Specifiction places it

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