LitQuest is an AI-powered platform designed to accelerate the screening of titles and abstracts from systematic literature searches.
LitQuest uses machine learning to support researchers in determining the relevance of references, significantly reducing the time and human resources required for the screening phase of systematic reviews. The system features a user-friendly, web-based interface that allows researchers to upload search results, manually screen a small subset of articles, and then the AI model will sort the remaining articles into relevant and not relevant categories. This semi-automated approach ensures that LitQuest can quickly learn from human input and improve its accuracy over time
Who developed LitQuest?
LitQuest was developed by the team at Deakin’s Applied Artificial Intelligence Initiative in collaboration with researchers at SEED and the Deakin Library.
From Living Knowledge System to LitQuest: Background to LitQuest development
What are the benefits of LitQuest?
One of the key benefits of LitQuest is its efficiency in reducing the workload for researchers. On average, the system requires only 36% of the total yield of a literature search to be manually screened before reaching the stop-point, translating to significant time and cost savings. This efficiency is particularly valuable in rapidly developing areas of science where maintaining up-to-date reviews is crucial.
LitQuest also demonstrates high accuracy in classifying articles. Performance testing showed that the system achieved an accuracy rate of 99% with an interrater reliability of 95%, meaning that 0% of titles and abstracts were incorrectly assigned. LitQuest’s ability to accurately discern relevant from not relevant articles and a stopping rule that tells the user when they have most likely screened all relevant articles make it an invaluable tool for supporting systematic reviews.
LitQuest supports all parts of the systematic review workflow and with its user -friendly interface helps to organise systematic reviews. It also supports deduplication, Prisma tracking and article filtering making it ideal for managing large systematic reviews.
How can I find out more?
LitQuest is currently available to Deakin staff and their collaborators. Deakin staff can find further information about how to access LitQuest here.