There exist multiple platforms that allow identifying cited or backward citation and citing or forward citation for several "included studies" at once. 

Let us take these two examples:
Lakeberg M, Hoffmann F, Ohmes J, Berger-Höger B, Helbach J. Use of Mobile Technologies for Smoking Cessation Among Smokers and Former Smokers: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res. 2026 Apr 30;28:e83072. doi: 10.2196/83072. PMID: 42060580; PMCID: PMC13132022.

 

Hodder RK, O'Brien KM, Al-Gobari M, Flatz A, Borchard A, Klerings I, Clinton-McHarg T, Kingsland M, von Elm E. Interventions implemented through sporting organisations for promoting healthy behaviour or improving health outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Jan 13;1(1):CD012170. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012170.pub2. PMID: 39803834; PMCID: PMC11726619.

1- OpenAlex (https://openalex.org/)
 

Select the DOIs for the reports you would like to search for their forward/backward citations
If you use Endnote:

1- Use a filter to retrieve only the list of DOIs of the articles of interest for citation searching

If you have a list of DOIs, you can format them in Notepad++ (for example, separating them with commas) or use Microsoft Copilot to automate the process.

 

In our example of the two studies above, the DOIs are:

10.1002/14651858.CD012170.pub2
10.2196/83072

2- To get the OpenALex IDs for each included reference, please visit:
https://orc-demo.gesis.org/ and copy/paste the DOIs (separated by comma) in the left column (and enter your e-mail or a generic e-mail).

This gives us in the right column the following links:

1. https://openalex.org/W4406331357
2. https://openalex.org/W7125816432

• “Remove https://openalex.org/ from each line and separate the OpenAlex IDs (those starting with W) using a vertical bar | (AltGr + 7 on QWERTY keyboard).”

• Alternatively, ask Copilot to do this step with the prompt:
  "please keep only the IDs of OpenALex that starts with W and separate each ID by | and give results in one line".

Here is the output:
W4406331357|W7125816432

Backword citations
To identify backward citations, please add the website of OpenAlex with the specific filter (https://openalex.org/works?filter=cited_by:) before the previous list of OpenAlex IDs. Example:
https://openalex.org/works?filter=cited_by:W4406331357|W7125816432

Export results
To export results, please make sure to be connected/(signed in) to being able to do so.
The export function is on the extreme right corner (download icon).  
If you have Endnote, choose this format, otherwise choose CSV standard.

Forward citations

For forward citations, please add (https://openalex.org/works?filter=cites:) before OpenAlex IDs.

Example from above (cf. backward citation)
https://openalex.org/works?filter=cites:W4406331357|W7125816432
To export results (cf. section above)

2- Citationchaser (https://estech.shinyapps.io/citationchaser/)

- Go to article input and add the DOIs (10.1002/14651858.CD012170.pub2,10.2196/83072) separated with comma. 

The output:
We added two references but the tool considered it only 1. The output gave two references with the number of cited and citing references, though, which satisfied our request.

The tool says "You provided 1 potential starting identifier, corresponding to 1 unique records. We found 2 of them on Lens.org":

Backword citations
- Go to the menu item: References. Click "search for all references articles in Lens.org". Then, you can export the results by clicking "download an RIS file of referenced articles".

Forward citation
- Go to the menu item: Citation. Click "search for all references articles in Lens.org"

The output: "Your 2 articles were cited a total X times. Then, you can export the results by clicking "download an RIS file of citing articles".