Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40229909›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental evidence2025

AI-assisted evidence screening method for systematic reviews in environmental research: integrating ChatGPT with domain knowledge.

Chen Zuo, Xiaohao Yang, Josh Errickson, Jiayang Li, Yi Hong, Runzi Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental evidence, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Chen ZuoSchool for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Xiaohao YangSchool for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Josh ErricksonConsulting for Statistics Computing & Analytics Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Jiayang LiDepartment of Landscape Architecture, College of Design, Construction and Planning, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
Yi HongSchool for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Runzi WangDepartment of Human Ecology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA. mrrwang@ucdavis.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Systematic reviews (SRs) in environmental science is challenging due to diverse methodologies, terminologies, and study designs across disciplines. A major limitation is that inconsistent application of eligibility criteria in evidence-screening affects the reproducibility and transparency of SRs. To explore the potential role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in applying eligibility criteria, we developed and evaluated an AI-assisted evidence-screening framework using a case study SR on the relationship between stream fecal coliform concentrations and land use and land cover (LULC). The SR incorporates publications from hydrology, ecology, public health, landscape, and urban planning, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of environmental research. We fine-tuned ChatGPT-3.5 Turbo model with expert-reviewed training data for title, abstract, and full-text screening of 120 articles. The AI model demonstrated substantial agreement at title/abstract review and moderate agreement at full-text review with expert reviewers and maintained internal consistency, suggesting its potential for structured screening assistance. The findings provide a structured framework for applying eligibility criteria consistently, improving evidence screening efficiency, reducing labor and costs, and informing large language models (LLMs) integration in environmental SRs. Combining AI with domain knowledge provides an exploratory step to evaluate feasibility of AI-assisted evidence screening, especially for diverse, large volume, and interdisciplinary studies. Additionally, AI-assisted screening has the potential to provide a structured approach for managing disagreement among researchers with diverse domain knowledge, though further validation is needed.

Indexed as

Eligibility criteriaFine tuningInterdisciplinary studyLarge Language modelLiterature reviewLiterature screening

Identifiers

PMID40229909
PMCPMC11998256

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.