Guide to tracking AI and data processing tasks in EasySLR

Tasks triggered by user actions, such as AI processing or Data Extraction runs, continue to operate in the background. Depending on the size of data, these tasks may take some time to complete.

Tracking the progress of these tasks gives you full visibility and control over ongoing processes, helping make your literature review faster, transparent, and error-free!

Why is tracking important?

Tracking allows users to:

• Monitor ongoing system activities.
• Ensure that time-consuming processes are running smoothly.
• Know when processes are complete or have errors.
• Avoid restarting or duplicating tasks unnecessarily.
• Keep a record of all actions performed for transparency and audit trails.

Where can I track these tasks in EasySLR?

• Navigate to the "Background Tasks" tab located under the “History” section within each project.

• You can see a list of all initiated tasks, along with their status, timestamps, and type of action performed.

What Type of Tasks Are Shown in Background Tasks?

Some of the common background tasks tracked include:

• AI Processing (Title-Abstract Screening).
• AI Data Extraction Runs for a single study as well as multiple studies.
• File Upload-Deletion (RIS, Excel, NBIB).
• Re-evaluation of decisions.
• AI Reruns at all stages.

What Status Indicators Are Available for Tasks?

• Processing: Task is actively running in the system.
• Completed: Task has been successfully executed.
• Pending: Task is pending to be processed.
• Failed: Task has encountered an error.
• Cancelled: Task was stopped manually.

Each task shows a timestamp along with user details, so you know when it started & finished and by whom.

Can I Cancel a Running Task?

Yes!

• For long-running tasks (like AI screening), users can choose to cancel them if needed.
• Go to Background Tasks, locate the running task, and use the "Cancel Process" option (if available for that task type).

Note: Cancellation may not be available for every type of task, especially if it's already near completion.

How Does Background Task Tracking Improve Efficiency?

• Transparency: Users know exactly what is happening in the background and when.
• No Manual Follow-up: You don’t need to guess if a file deletion or AI screening has started — it's tracked.
• Avoid Duplication: Prevents accidental re-runs of tasks when one is already active.
• Audit Trails: Maintains a history of actions for each project, supporting compliance and reproducibility.
• User Control: Ability to cancel tasks if priorities change.

Can I See Who Initiated a Task?

• Yes, each background task is associated with the user who triggered it, allowing you to track accountability.

Are Background Tasks Specific to a Project?

• Yes, background tasks are tracked at the project level, so you can monitor activities relevant to a particular systematic review without mixing data from other projects.

Examples of How Background Tasks Help in Real Scenarios

Scenario	How Background Tasks Help
AI Screening	Tracks when AI starts and completes screening, avoiding manual checks.
Data Extraction	Tracks AI data extraction completion for faster quality checks.
File Upload/ Deletion Re-evaluate Articles	Confirms whether RIS/NBIB/Excel files upload/deletion process is completed. Confirms whether the re-evaluation process for all articles is completed.

Summary of Functionalities in Background Task Tracking

Feature	Benefit
Task Status Tracking	Real-time visibility of AI and other processing tasks.
Cancel & Retry	User control over ongoing or failed tasks.
User Attribution	Know who initiated which task.
Timestamped Logs	Clear timeline of actions performed.

Where to Learn More or Ask for Help?

If you need help understanding or managing background tasks, you can:

• Refer to our Knowledge base for detailed guides.
• Contact our Support Team directly for assistance.

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