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Automate systematic literature reviews with Google Drive, GPT-4, Gemini, Qdrant and Airtable

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Open on n8n.io

1. Workflow Overview

How it works Automates systematic literature review by downloading papers from Google Drive, extracting text, and evaluating them against strict inclusion/exclusion criteria using LLM agents Routes...

Best for

  • Document Extraction automation workflows
  • AI RAG automation workflows
  • advanced n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.googledrive, n8n-nodes-base.extractfromfile, @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.documentdefaultdataloader, @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.embeddingsgooglegemini, n8n-nodes-base.splitinbatches, n8n-nodes-base.manualtrigger, @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.outputparserstructured, @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmchatgooglegemini

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by Jannik Hiller.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
Automate systematic literature reviews with Google Drive, GPT-4, Gemini, Qdrant and Airtable
Workflow name
Automate systematic literature reviews with Google Drive, GPT-4, Gemini, Qdrant and Airtable

How it works

  • Automates systematic literature review by downloading papers from Google Drive, extracting text, and evaluating them against strict inclusion/exclusion criteria using LLM agents

  • Routes included papers to Qdrant vector stores with Gemini embeddings for semantic search, and excluded papers to a separate folder

  • Logs all decisions to Airtable with PRISMA-compliant justification for complete audit trails

Set up steps

  • Connect Google Drive credentials to access your paper folder

  • Configure Airtable base and table for decision logging

  • Add OpenAI (GPT-4) and Google Gemini API credentials for LLM evaluation and embeddings

  • Set up Qdrant instances for vector storage (supports up to 3 collections)

  • Keep detailed descriptions of your inclusion/exclusion criteria in the sticky notes inside your workflow

1.2 Logical Blocks

This catalog entry is organized from the workflow JSON. The node-level section below shows the executable blocks available for review before importing the template.

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - Download PDF

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive - googleDrive
Config choices
Version 3

Block 2 - Extract PDF Text

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.extractFromFile - extractFromFile
Config choices
Version 1

Block 3 - Default Data Loader

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.documentDefaultDataLoader - documentDefaultDataLoader
Config choices
Version 1.1

Block 4 - Default Data Loader1

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.documentDefaultDataLoader - documentDefaultDataLoader
Config choices
Version 1.1

Block 5 - Default Data Loader2

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.documentDefaultDataLoader - documentDefaultDataLoader
Config choices
Version 1.1

Block 6 - Embeddings Google Gemini

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.embeddingsGoogleGemini - embeddingsGoogleGemini
Config choices
Version 1

Block 7 - Embeddings Google Gemini1

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.embeddingsGoogleGemini - embeddingsGoogleGemini
Config choices
Version 1

Block 8 - Embeddings Google Gemini2

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.embeddingsGoogleGemini - embeddingsGoogleGemini
Config choices
Version 1

Block 9 - Loop Over Items

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.splitInBatches - splitInBatches
Config choices
Version 3

Block 10 - When clicking ‘Execute workflow’

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger - manualTrigger
Config choices
Version 1

Block 11 - Structured Output Parser

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.outputParserStructured - outputParserStructured
Config choices
Version 1.3

Block 12 - Google Gemini Chat Model1

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatGoogleGemini - lmChatGoogleGemini
Config choices
Version 1

Block 13 - If

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.if - if
Config choices
Version 2.3

Block 14 - Structured Output Parser1

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.outputParserStructured - outputParserStructured
Config choices
Version 1.3

Block 15 - Google Gemini Chat Model3

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatGoogleGemini - lmChatGoogleGemini
Config choices
Version 1

Block 16 - Search files and folders

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive - googleDrive
Config choices
Version 3

Block 17 - OpenAI Chat Model

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi - lmChatOpenAi
Config choices
Version 1.3

Block 18 - OpenAI Chat Model1

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi - lmChatOpenAi
Config choices
Version 1.3

Block 19 - 📋 Overview: SLR Paper Review Agent

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 20 - Stage 1: Paper Input & Extraction

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 21 - Stage 2: LLM-Based SLR Review

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 22 - Stage 3: Decision Routing & Logging

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 23 - Stage 4: Vector Store & File Organization

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 24 - Log Excluded Paper

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.airtable - airtable
Config choices
Version 2.1

Showing the first 24 of 36 workflow blocks. Download the JSON for the full node graph.

3. Summary Table

Workflow Automate systematic literature reviews with Google Drive, GPT-4, Gemini, Qdrant and Airtable
Complexity advanced
Nodes 36
Categories Document Extraction, AI RAG
Author Jannik Hiller
Published 19 Jan 2026

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/12827/12827.json as the source template for this automation.

  2. 2. Import the template into n8n

    Open n8n, import the downloaded JSON, and review each node before activating the workflow.

  3. 3. Configure credentials and variables

    Replace placeholder credentials, API keys, webhook URLs, account IDs, and environment-specific values with your own settings.

  4. 4. Test with sample data

    Run the workflow manually or in a staging workspace, inspect node output, and confirm downstream systems receive the expected data.

  5. 5. Activate and monitor

    Enable the workflow only after testing, then monitor executions, errors, and rate limits during the first production runs.

5. General Notes & Resources

Review imported nodes carefully before activation. This catalog entry is intended to help you inspect the workflow structure, understand required services, and find related templates faster.

Node names, credentials, schedules, webhook paths, and external service limits may need adjustment for your workspace.

Frequently asked questions

What does Automate systematic literature reviews with Google Drive, GPT-4, Gemini, Qdrant and Airtable do?

How it works Automates systematic literature review by downloading papers from Google Drive, extracting text, and evaluating them against strict inclusion/exclusion criteria using LLM agents Routes...

What do I need before importing this workflow?

Review the workflow JSON, configure any required credentials in n8n, and test the automation in a safe workspace before using it in production.

Can I customize this workflow?

Yes. Use the block-by-block analysis and the downloadable JSON to inspect each node, then adjust credentials, prompts, schedules, filters, or destinations for your Document Extraction, AI RAG use case.