Guides: Manuscript Editor

Real-Time Writing Version Control 60 minutes

Guides Objectives:
By the end of this session, users will be able to:

Navigate the Manuscript Dashboard and manage manuscript versions
Create new manuscripts and edit content using the rich text editor
Insert citations from the project library with auto-generated bibliography
Add staged content (PRISMA diagrams, QA charts, meta-analyses) from reports
Create minor and major versions to track manuscript evolution
Export manuscripts as DOCX or PDF for journal submission
Understand auto-injected appendices (search strategies, eligibility frameworks)

Part 1: Manuscript Dashboard

Navigate to: Reporting Phase → Manuscript Editor → Manuscripts

Version History
Track all manuscript versions

Create New
Start a new manuscript

Version Control
Minor/Major versioning

Export
DOCX / PDF formats

📋 Version Table Columns: Version (v1.0, v2.0), Title, Status (Draft/Published), Last Updated, Updated By, Actions (View, Edit, Export, Archive, Delete).

Part 2: Creating a New Manuscript

Navigate to: Manuscripts Dashboard → Create New Manuscript

1 Enter manuscript title (auto-populated from project, but editable)

2 Select a template (optional – pre-populates structure)

3 Click "Create" – automatically creates Version 1.0 as Draft

Part 3: Manuscript Editor Interface

Effectiveness of GLP-1 Agonists for Weight Loss in Managing Obesity in Diabetic Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Rich text editor area with formatting toolbar (bold, italic, lists, links, tables). Auto-save every 30 seconds + manual save button.

Introduction

This is a draft manuscript. Use the editor to write your systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.

Methods: Search Strategy

Auto-injected search queries appear in Appendices section.

Results

Staged content (forest plots, QA charts, tables) can be copied from the right sidebar.

Discussion

Write interpretation of findings, limitations, and conclusions.

References

Auto-generated from citations inserted during writing. Manage order via bibliography modal.

Appendices: Search Strategies

Auto-injected from Search & Query Management module with query strings and performance summaries.

✏️ Editor Features:

Toolbar: Headers, bold, italic, underline, lists (ordered/bulleted), links, tables, clean formatting
Auto-save: Every 30 seconds – "Last Saved: Up to date" indicator
Manual Save: "Save All" button for explicit save
Versioning: "Create New Version" button for branching
Export: DOCX and PDF directly from editor

Part 4: Citation Management

Search Library
Find studies by title/author

Select Multiple
Bulk insert citations

Drag & Drop
Reorder references

Auto-Generate
Bibliography from cited references

📚 Citation Workflow:

In the right sidebar, search the project library for a study
Click "Cite" button next to the reference – inserts inline citation like (Author, Year)
Reference automatically added to the References section
Click "Generate Now" to format bibliography in consistent style
Use "Manage Order" modal to drag/drop references into desired sequence

Part 5: Staged Content Integration

Staged Content from Reports: When you click "Add to Manuscript" from any report (PRISMA diagram, QA chart, meta-analysis results, excluded studies table), the content appears in the "Staged Content" sidebar.

Each staged item includes: Title, formatted HTML content, "Copy HTML" button, and "Remove" button
Copy the HTML and paste into the relevant manuscript section
Examples: Forest plots, risk of bias charts, study characteristics tables, AI interpretations

Example Staged Content: Meta-Analysis Summary

Overall Pooled Effect (OR): 3.32 [95% CI: 2.23, 4.94], I² = 97.4%
AI Interpretation: The meta-analysis demonstrates a robust pooled effect but with extremely high heterogeneity (I²=97.4%), indicating substantial variation across studies.

📋 Copy HTML → Paste into Results section → Preserves formatting, tables, and AI insights.

Part 6: Version Control

Minor Version (v1.1)
Typo fixes, small clarifications, non-substantive changes

Major Version (v2.0)
Significant rewrites, new analyses, journal resubmission

Archive
Preserve old versions without cluttering dashboard

Delete
Remove unwanted versions (with confirmation)

🔁 Versioning Workflow: Edit manuscript → Create New Version (minor or major) → New version created as copy → Continue editing. All previous versions remain accessible from dashboard.

Part 7: Appendices – Auto-Injected Content

The following content is auto-injected into the Appendices section:

Search Strategies: Complete query strings with source (Planning AI Built, AI Translated, Manual), save date, and performance summaries (database, total found, last executed)
Eligibility Framework: PICO/PICo criteria from Planning Phase
PRISMA Flow Diagram: Copyable as image from report view

Part 8: Export & Submission

DOCX Export
Editable Word document – ready for journal template application

PDF Export
Print-ready format – share with co-authors or submit to journals

📄 Exported manuscripts include all sections, formatted references, and appendices. Use for journal submission (e.g., BMC Systematic Reviews, JBI Evidence Synthesis, Cochrane Library).

🧪 Group Hands-On Activity: Manuscript Editor (45 min)

Access Manuscript Dashboard: Reporting Phase → Manuscript Editor → Manuscripts.
Create New Manuscript: Click "Create New Manuscript". Title: "GLP-1 Agonists for Weight Loss – Training Draft".
Edit Introduction: Open the manuscript → click "Edit". Write 2-3 sentences about the background of obesity and GLP-1 agonists.
Insert a Citation: In the right sidebar, search for "Wilding JPH". Click "Cite" next to the study. Verify citation appears inline and reference appears in References section.
Generate Bibliography: Click "Generate Now" in References section. Review formatted reference.
Add Staged Content: Go to Reports Dashboard → generate a PRISMA diagram report → click "Add to Manuscript". Return to Manuscript Editor → Staged Content sidebar shows the item. Click "Copy HTML" → paste into the "Methods" section.
Create a New Version: Click "Create New Version" → select "Minor Version (v1.1)". Verify new version appears in dashboard.
Export as DOCX: From the manuscript view, click "Export DOCX". Download and verify formatting.
Review Appendices: Scroll to the bottom of the manuscript. Verify search strategies are auto-injected with query strings and performance data.

Debrief Questions:

What is the advantage of version control for systematic review manuscripts?
How does the citation manager integrate with the project's study library?
Why are appendices (search strategies, eligibility frameworks) auto-injected rather than manually typed?
When would you use a minor vs. major version increment?
How does staged content from reports improve efficiency and accuracy compared to manual copy-paste?

Best Practices for Manuscript Writing in RevProHub

Recommendations:

Create a major version before major revisions (e.g., after peer review, before resubmission)
Use "Add to Manuscript" from reports instead of copying from external sources – ensures data consistency
Generate bibliography only after completing all citation insertions
Export as DOCX for final formatting in journal-specific template (e.g., BMC, PLOS ONE)
Archive old versions instead of deleting – preserves audit trail for transparency
Include AI Assistant interpretations in the Discussion section to support methodological transparency

Manuscript Editor Completion Checklist:
✔ Manuscript created with appropriate title
✔ All sections populated with content (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion)
✔ Citations inserted from project library
✔ Bibliography generated and formatted
✔ Staged content added from reports (PRISMA, QA, meta-analysis)
✔ Version control used (minor/major version created)
✔ Appendices verified (search strategies, eligibility frameworks)
✔ Manuscript exported as DOCX and PDF
✔ Ready for co-author review or journal submission