A systematic approach to searching: an efficient and complete method to develop literature searches

Abstract

Creating search strategies for systematic reviews, finding the best balance between sensitivity and specificity, and translating search strategies between databases is challenging. Several methods describe standards for systematic search strategies, but a consistent approach for creating an exhaustive search strategy has not yet been fully described in enough detail to be fully replicable. The authors have established a method that describes step by step the process of developing a systematic search strategy as needed in the systematic review. This method describes how single-line search strategies can be prepared in a text document by typing search syntax (such as field codes, parentheses, and Boolean operators) before copying and pasting search terms (keywords and free-text synonyms) that are found in the thesaurus. To help ensure term completeness, we developed a novel optimization technique that is mainly based on comparing the results retrieved by thesaurus terms with those retrieved by the free-text search words to identify potentially relevant candidate search terms. Macros in Microsoft Word have been developed to convert syntaxes between databases and interfaces almost automatically. This method helps information specialists in developing librarian-mediated searches for systematic reviews as well as medical and health care practitioners who are searching for evidence to answer clinical questions. The described method can be used to create complex and comprehensive search strategies for different databases and interfaces, such as those that are needed when searching for relevant references for systematic reviews, and will assist both information specialists and practitioners when they are searching the biomedical literature.

Electronically assisted surveillance systems of healthcare-associated infections: a systematic review

“…The full description of the queries per database is provided in the supplementary material. The process of identification, screening and inclusion of articles for full text synthesis is consistent with the method described by Bramer et al [6][7][8]. In brief, this method consists of a query in online databases, review of all the abstracts by two reviewers independently to screen for articles that probably meet the inclusion criteria (eligible) followed by full article review to decide whether an article is included based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria.…”

Reference checking for systematic reviews using Endnote

“…Advantages of the method are that screening of the references is easier as the downloaded citations also contain the abstracts of the articles, whereas when the references are only reviewed in the reference lists of the citing articles, only bibliographic information is shown, and the reviewer has to decide based on the title whether a citation might be relevant. Using the method described in the article by Bramer et al in this issue of the Journal of the Medical Library Association [ 9 ], the screening process can be performed as is normally done for references.…”

An automated approach to identifying search terms for systematic reviews using keyword co‐occurrence networks

“…When writing a search string for a systematic review, researchers will often want to use stemming to capture additional word forms because it makes the search string more efficient (Bramer, Jonge, Rethlefsen, Mast, & Kleijnen, ). For example, a search string to capture articles about fledglings should use the stemmed term fledg* because the asterisk will be replaced with alternative word endings (e.g.…”