Mallik Gaddam

Mallik Gaddam

Hi, I am Mallik, co-founder of Paperguide with 15 years across edtech, agri-tech, and ISRO. I also explore business and philosophy.

Paperguide logo surrounded by the app icons of six systematic review tools on an orange background

7 Best Covidence Alternatives for Systematic Reviews in 2026

Covidence is one of the most widely used platforms for systematic review screening. Backed by Cochrane, it gives research teams a structured environment for title/abstract screening, full-text review, and data extraction. For many academics, it was the first dedicated tool they encountered for structured evidence synthesis. But the research landscape has shifted. Teams now expect AI-powered search, citation-grounded writing, and end-to-end workflows that connect screening decisions to final rep

By Mallik Gaddam —

Covidence vs DistillerSR

Covidence vs DistillerSR: Academic vs Enterprise in 2026

Covidence and DistillerSR are two of the most established platforms for systematic review workflows, but they serve different ends of the market. Covidence is the platform most academic researchers encounter first: Cochrane-endorsed, widely adopted across over 480 institutions, and designed for teams that need reliable screening and extraction with a short learning curve. DistillerSR is the platform that pharmaceutical companies, HTA agencies, and regulatory teams rely on for high-volume, enterp

By Mallik Gaddam —

Covidence vs Rayyan

Covidence vs Rayyan: Which Is Better in 2026?

Covidence and Rayyan are two of the most widely used platforms for systematic review screening, and research teams moving beyond spreadsheets and email chains often narrow their choice to one of these two. Both handle the core job of title and abstract screening with dual reviewers, but they approach nearly everything else differently: pricing models, AI integration, full-text management, data extraction depth, and risk of bias tooling. The question matters because systematic reviews remain amo

By Mallik Gaddam —

A map-like network of linked documents with a compass, a flowchart and a data charting table, drawn in thin lines on an orange gradient

What is a Scoping Review? Purpose, Framework, and How to Conduct One

A scoping review maps the extent, range, and nature of research activity on a topic. Unlike a systematic review that answers a narrowly focused question, a scoping review asks broader questions: What types of evidence exist? What are the key concepts? Where are the gaps? The approach was formalized by Arksey and O'Malley in 2005 as a five-stage framework for systematically mapping the literature on a topic area [1]. Since then, methodological refinements by Levac, Colquhoun, and O'Brien [2], th

By Mallik Gaddam —

An open book and a quill pen surrounded by linked stacks of papers, drawn in thin lines on an orange gradient

What Is a Narrative Review? Purpose, Structure, and How to Write One

A narrative review is a scholarly article that synthesizes the existing literature on a topic through expert interpretation rather than statistical pooling. Unlike a systematic review, which follows a pre-registered protocol with exhaustive searching and formal quality assessment, a narrative review gives the author flexibility to select, organize, and interpret sources in a way that tells a coherent story about the state of knowledge in a field [1]. This flexibility is both the strength and th

By Mallik Gaddam —

Rayyan vs DistillerSR

Rayyan vs DistillerSR: Free vs Enterprise in 2026

Rayyan and DistillerSR both offer AI-assisted systematic review screening, but they sit at opposite ends of the market. Rayyan is the accessible entry point: a freemium platform that gives individual researchers and small teams functional screening with AI prioritization at no cost. DistillerSR is the enterprise workhorse: a fully configurable platform built for pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and regulatory teams processing thousands of records across multiple simultaneous reviews. The choice

By Mallik Gaddam —

Paperguide and DistillerSR app logos side by side on an orange background

Paperguide vs DistillerSR: Best DistillerSR Alternative in 2026

Paperguide and DistillerSR occupy different positions in the systematic review software market, and the choice between them depends largely on what your team needs and where it operates. Paperguide is an AI-native platform for scientific research workflows and evidence synthesis that connects AI search, systematic review, data extraction, citation-grounded writing, and reference management in one workspace. DistillerSR (by Evidence Partners) is a systematic review automation platform built for r

By Mallik Gaddam —

paperguide vs rayyan

Paperguide vs Rayyan: Best Rayyan Alternative in 2026

Paperguide and Rayyan are two of the most widely used platforms for systematic review workflows in 2026, but they approach the problem from fundamentally different positions. Paperguide is an AI-native platform for scientific research workflows and evidence synthesis where AI search, literature review, systematic review, PDF analysis, structured extraction, reference management, and citation-grounded writing all stay linked inside one workspace. Rayyan is an AI-assisted screening platform truste

By Mallik Gaddam —

Paperguide and Covidence app logos side by side on an orange background

Paperguide vs Covidence: Best Covidence Alternative in 2026

Paperguide and Covidence are two of the most established platforms for systematic review workflows, but they occupy very different positions in the research technology space. Paperguide is an AI-native platform for scientific research workflows and systematic review where AI search, literature review, systematic review, PDF analysis, structured extraction, reference management, and citation-grounded writing all stay linked inside one workspace. Covidence is a Cochrane-endorsed web application pu

By Mallik Gaddam —