Check Whether a Downloaded Article Has Been Updated

Check the saved copy against its publisher record

A PDF downloaded before manuscript submission may predate a publisher update. Look for Crossmark on the article page or document and inspect any listed update. Record the article DOI, saved copy date, time checked, and the publisher's stated status. For publications without Crossmark information, consult the article landing page and linked notices directly.

Open each update and decide whether it changes the evidence used in the review. Check tables, dates, author statements, and supplementary files individually. Some updates concern the publication record and leave the extracted outcome unaffected. Write down which parts were examined and the exact reason for retaining or revising the extraction.

Maintain a hypothetical status queue

A team checks 16 included articles. Eleven have a current status confirmed in Crossmark, two have linked updates requiring inspection, and three need a direct publisher check. That produces five follow-up tasks. After reviewing the two updates, only one changes a figure used in the review. Update that figure's extraction and keep the other notice attached to its article record.

Date the status assessment in the review archive. A status statement represents the information available at the check date, and participation in Crossmark varies by publisher. Reopen the queue before the final evidence cutoff so that later publication changes can be assessed consistently.

Crossref Crossmark documentation

Related worksheet: Correction and retraction impact worksheet.

Source checked on 5 November 2026.