Shalu Gillum, JD, MLS, AHIP 
Head of Public Services 
Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library 
University of Central Florida College of Medicine 

This is an update of my original review of JBI SUMARI that was published in the May 2019 issue of Doody’s Collection Development Monthly. You can find the original review here. 

Purpose and Audience 

JBI SUMARI from JBI, previously known as the Joanna Briggs Institute, is an online software tool for systematic reviews. SUMARI, which stands for System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information, is designed to help researchers and health practitioners with the entire systematic review process, from creating the protocol, selecting studies for inclusion, critical appraisal of included studies, data extraction, and synthesis.^1-2  

Content 

SUMARI allows users to conduct 10 different types of systematic reviews, including qualitative, economic evaluations, prevalence/incidence, etiology/risk, umbrella/overview, text/opinion, diagnostic test accuracy, effectiveness review, and scoping reviews.² It also allows users to combine review types within one project and create custom reviews. SUMARI allows users to complete a systematic review from protocol to final report, all in one product.  

Subscriptions and Access 

SUMARI is available through individual or institutional subscription, either directly from JBI or through the Wolters Kluwer Ovid platform. Annual individual subscriptions are available through MYJBI <my.jbi.global> for $110.³ First-time users can take advantage of a free 14-day trial of JBI SUMARI, which includes complete access to all features of the product, by signing up on the JBI homepage <sumari.jbi.global>. 

Features and Functionality 

Not much has changed in the appearance of JBI SUMARI. It is still a simple, easy-to-use systematic review tool with a helpful dashboard to guide users through the systematic review process. Previously on the dashboard, the link to the Reviewer’s Manual sent users to a manual on conducting systematic reviews using JBI methodology. Now the Reviewer Manual link results in a “Page not found” message but still displays links to chapters within the “JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis” found on the JBI wiki. At the top of this page is a link to the helpful “Knowledge Base,” which was previously located under Help/FAQ in SUMARI. Now clicking on Help/FAQ in SUMARI takes users to a newly revamped JBI homepage with information about JBI SUMARI. The link to the Knowledge Base can now be found here, under “Support.” It is frustrating to have to dig to find this site, and many users might miss it altogether. The Knowledge Base walks users through the important steps of using JBI SUMARI, from logging in, to setting up a project and selecting studies, to critical appraisal and data extraction. Users should note that the Knowledge Base is also found on a freely available wiki <https://wiki.jbi.global/display/SKB>. 

The best update to JBI SUMARI, and the one which most affects the end user experience, is the ability to do title and abstract screening within SUMARI. Previously users had to use another product to accomplish this important step of the systematic review process. Short video tutorials are now available to help with the new title and abstract screening process. These videos are on You Tube and are most easily found via a quick Google search, rather than trying to find them within SUMARI.  

Breakthrough 

The best feature of JBI SUMARI is still its simplicity. With the addition of title and abstract screening, SUMARI is now an even more robust tool to guide researchers through the entire systematic review process from start to finish.  

References 

1. JBI. Basics of JBI SUMARI. 2020. https://wiki.jbi.global/display/SKB/Basics+of+JBI+SUMARI Accessed July 7, 2021. 

2. JBI. What Can JBI SUMARI Do? 2020. https://sumari.jbi.global/features Accessed July 7, 2021. 

3. JBI. Pricing. 2020. https://sumari.jbi.global/pricing Accessed July 7, 2021.