Universal SLR Assistant supports systematic and scoping review workflows with AI-assisted screening, extraction and reproducible outputs. It provides a desktop GUI and a browser-based local Web App. Reference imports include RIS, BibTeX, CSV and plain text, including exports from PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. The workflow covers abstract screening, full-text PDF processing, structured extraction and export; likely duplicates are identified using DOI and fuzzy title matching. Workspace mode stores references, PDF metadata, review items, decisions and audit events in a local SQLite workspace, keeping AI suggestions separate from human decisions. Exports can include decision files and logs, exclusion reasons, PRISMA-ready counts, a methods disclosure draft and a manifest. Users can choose among cloud and local AI providers. Submitted paper text goes to cloud providers; Ollama or another local endpoint can keep it on the user's computer or local network. The software is free and open source, though cloud AI provider fees may apply. AI output is assistance only: people must verify results and make final review and reporting decisions.
Who it is for
The tool is intended for PhD students, researchers, professors, evidence synthesis teams and authors of systematic or scoping reviews. It suits users who want AI-assisted review work but will verify results and make final decisions themselves.
What is good
- Imports RIS, BibTeX, CSV and plain-text references.
- Flags likely duplicates with DOI and fuzzy title matching.
- Workspace mode stores review data in local SQLite.
- Offers local and cloud AI provider options.
- Exports PRISMA-ready counts and decision logs.
What to know first
- Human verification and final decisions remain required.
- Cloud providers receive submitted paper text.
- Cloud AI provider API fees may apply.
- Web App is not intended as a public multi-user service.
Verdict
Universal SLR Assistant covers much of a systematic or scoping review workflow and offers local workspace storage alongside cloud and local AI options. Review its data-transmission behavior and keep human verification central to the process.
Universal SLR Assistant plans and pricing
All plansCompared on AI literature review software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Screening workflow
- Yes
- AI paper summaries
- Yes
- Full-text analysis
- Yes
- Systematic review support
- Yes
- Export formats
- Excel (.xlsx), CSV, JSON, Markdown, plain text
