Troubleshooting Guide

Encounter an issue? This guide covers common problems and their solutions. If you don't find your answer here, contact our support team.

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Search Issues

My search returns too many results

Problem: Your search retrieved thousands of irrelevant studies.

Solutions:

Example:

Too broad: diabetes AND exercise

Better: ("diabetes mellitus, type 2"[MeSH]) AND 
        (exercise[MeSH] OR "physical activity") AND 
        ("randomized controlled trial"[pt])

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My search returns too few results

Problem: Your search only found a handful of studies when you expected more.

Solutions:

1. Expand synonyms: Add alternative terms for each concept
2. Use truncation: exercis* catches exercise, exercises, exercising
3. Remove restrictions: Temporarily remove date/language limits
4. Check spelling: Verify all terms are correct
5. Search more databases: Different databases index different journals

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Screening Issues

AI predictions seem inaccurate

Problem: The AI is including studies that seem irrelevant or excluding relevant ones.

Solutions:

1. Calibrate early: Screen 50-100 studies manually first to train the AI
2. Check criteria clarity: Vague criteria confuse AI
3. Review your exclusions: AI learns from your decisions
4. Adjust confidence thresholds: Lower threshold = more flagged for human review
5. Use active learning feedback: Correct predictions to improve the model

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Screening is taking too long

Problem: You're spending more time than expected on screening.

Efficiency tips:

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Data Extraction Issues

PDF text not extracting properly

Problem: AI extraction is empty or garbled.

Common causes and fixes:

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Extracted data is incorrect

Problem: AI-extracted values don't match the paper.

Actions:

1. Always verify numerical data: AI can misread complex tables
2. Check confidence indicators: Low confidence = higher error risk
3. Click source link: View the exact location AI found the data
4. Report consistently wrong extractions: Helps improve the model
5. Use dual extraction: Second reviewer catches errors

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Synthesis Issues

Meta-analysis shows very high heterogeneity

Problem: I² is >75% and results seem meaningless.

Approaches:

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Export Issues

Export file is corrupted or incomplete

Problem: Downloaded file won't open or is missing data.

Solutions:

1. Clear browser cache: Old data can cause conflicts
2. Try different format: If Word fails, try PDF
3. Check file size: Very large exports may timeout
4. Export in batches: Split large reviews into sections
5. Use different browser: Some browsers handle downloads differently

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Performance Issues

Platform is slow

Problem: Pages take a long time to load.

Steps:

1. Check your connection: Run a speed test
2. Clear browser cache: Accumulated data can slow things down
3. Try incognito mode: Rules out extension conflicts
4. Reduce active tabs: Large reviews use significant memory
5. Check status page: [status.evidai.ai] for system issues

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Still Need Help?

If your issue isn't covered here:

1. Search documentation: Use the search bar above
2. Check FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
3. Contact support: support@EvidAI.ai
4. Live chat: Available for Professional and Enterprise plans
5. Community forum: community.evidai.ai

When contacting support, please include:

• Your review name/ID
• Steps to reproduce the issue
• Browser and operating system
• Screenshots if applicable