The Gather step is the foundation of your Systematic Review. It allows you to build a comprehensive body of evidence by running multiple search strategies in parallel, combining different data sources (like semantic questions, Boolean strings, and Clinical Trial registries) into a single, reproducible protocol.
Unlike a standard search, the Gather workflow is designed for iteration. You can test different queries side-by-side, review your search history, and curate exactly which strategies feed into your final screening.
1. Running Multiple Searches (Multi-Tab Workflow)
In a rigorous review, a single search query is rarely enough. The Gather interface allows you to layer multiple search strategies to ensure you don't miss key papers.
To add a new search strategy, locate the Paper sources bar at the top of the interface and click the + icon to open a new tab. Choose your search method:
Question Search: Best for natural language exploration.
Keyword Search: Best for precise Boolean strings.
Upload Papers: To include PDFs you already possess.
Why use multiple tabs?
A/B Testing: Keep your original search in "Tab 1" as a control. Create "Tab 2" to test a variation of your query.
Combining Methodologies: Have one tab for broad semantic discovery and another for a strict Boolean string. Elicit automatically de-duplicates papers across all active tabs.
Keyword-Exclusive search strategies: When using Elicit as part of something like an HTA filing, using a variety of keyword searches is standard practice.
2. Iterating & Using Search History
You can update the text in any search bar and click Update search to refresh the results. Click the History button next to the Filters bar to open a log of previous queries run in that tab, allowing you to restore a past search strategy instantly.
3. Using Boolean Logic & Specific Corpora
Keyword Search (Boolean Logic): If you select Keyword Search from the + menu, you can enter precise Boolean strings using operators like AND, OR, and NOT. For example: ("type 2 diabetes" OR "diabetes mellitus") AND (mortality OR survival). For a full guide, see Keyword search in Systematic Reviews.
Searching Specific Databases (e.g., Clinical Trials): Click the Source dropdown (top left of the search bar) and select Clinical trials to search registries like ClinicalTrials.gov and access trial-specific filters.
4. Managing Scope (Removing Tabs)
All papers found in the tabs currently open in your "Paper sources" bar will move forward to the Screening step. If you decide a search strategy isn't working, click the X on that search tab to close it and exclude those results from your review.
Warning: Closing a tab removes those search results from your systematic review entirely — they will not appear in Screening, Extraction, or the final PRISMA diagram.
5. Automated Reporting & PRISMA
The Gather workflow self-documents. When you proceed to Generate report, Elicit will automatically:
Generate a PRISMA flow diagram visualizing how many papers were identified from each specific search tab/source.
Document Methods listing the exact query strings and Boolean logic used for every active tab, alongside the date and database source.