Buhos: A web-based systematic literature review management software

Abstract

Software can significantly facilitate the management of the complete systematic literature review process (SLR). However, most specialized software for use in SLR processes is designed to meet the requirements of the health and medical sciences and software engineering, and there is a need for dedicated software for the specific research requirements of the social sciences. Furthermore, most of the software currently used is closed and the open source code alternatives require personnel with expertise in configuration and setup.We present Buhos, an application for managing the complete process of systematic literature reviews that is web-based and developed in Ruby. It offers functionalities for supporting the process of searching, screening, data extraction and reporting. Buhos can be used locally through an in-house web server, as well as in a distributed manner, integrated with other online services. Keywords: Systematic literature review, Web-based software, Collaborative work, Ruby