RevBase is a data management tool to help authors of systematic reviews managing their data (see About - Functionality for an overview of steps that are supported by RevBase).

Some of the functionality that is offered by RevBase is also available by other data management tools for systematic reviews e.g. tracking of literature assessments, consensus. The main difference between RevBase and all other tools appear to be the core extraction forms that are implemented in RevBase i.e. RevBase has some data extraction elements/forms that are already built in the system and which the user does not need to implement by hand.

Core data extraction forms in RevBase are data extraction forms that are already built in the system. These forms do not need to be implemented by the user. The following domains are covered in these core forms:

• Basic study information
• Quality assessment for randomized-controlled trials (based on Higgins JPT, Green S (editors). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.1.0 [updated March 2011]. The Cochrane Collaboration, 2011. Available from www.cochrane-handbook.org.), cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies (based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale)
• Outcome data for continuous, binary, and time-to-event outcomes
  

RevBase is a web browser based data management tool i.e. the software runs in your internet browser. Therefore, you do not need to install any software.

Technical requirements:

• Internet connection
• Web browser

RevBase was tested in:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 9
• Google Chrome 17 to 33
• Mozilla Firefox 10 to 27
• Apple Safari 5

Yes, the core data extraction forms implemented in RevBase allow for data extraction of cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies. In addition, users can implement user-defined data extraction forms for additional data that is relevant for their particular review.

In general only the "Scanning for Duplicates" step can be skipped in RevBase i.e. this step is not mandatory. All other steps need to be completed in order to complete a review in RevBase. However, there is a workaround if you only want to use the data extraction functionality:

• Define your review as usual
  
• Upload your list of references that will be definitely included
• Mark them all as potentially relevant in the "Screening of Reports" step (by two authors followed by consensus which is quick and easy because there will be no discrepancies between the two authors)
• Mark all reports as included in the "Inclusion of Reports" step (by two authors followed by consensus which is quick and easy because there will be no discrepancies between the two authors)
• Define studies and extract data as usual
  

RevBase can be used free of charge. Note, however, that support for users is therefore very limited.