Recording Database Searches for Systematic Reviews - What is the Value of Adding a Narrative to Peer-Review Checklists? A Case Study of NICE Interventional Procedures Guidance

Abstract

the terms of the Creative CommonsAttribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike License 2.5 Canada (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-ncsa/2.5/ca/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly attributed, not used for commercial purposes, and, if transformed, the resulting work is redistributed under the same or similar license to this one. AbstractThis paper discusses the value of open and transparent methods for recording systematic database search strategies, showing how they have been applied at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE, see Appendix C for definitions) in the United Kingdom (UK).Objective -The objectives are to: 1) Discuss the value of search strategy recording methods. 2) Assess any limitations to the practical application of a checklist approach. 3) Make recommendations for recording systematic database searches. Methods -The procedures for recording searches for Interventional ProceduresGuidance at NICE were examined. A sample of current methods for recording systematic searches identified in the literature was compared to the NICE processes. The case study analyses the search conducted for evidence about an interventional procedure and shows the practical issues involved in recording the database strategies.Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 2011, 6.4 73The case study explores why relevant papers were not retrieved by a search strategy meeting all of the criteria on the checklist used to peer review it. The evidence was required for guidance on non-rigid stabilisation techniques for the treatment of low back pain.Results -The analysis shows that amending the MEDLINE strategy to make it more sensitive would have increased its yield by 6614 articles. Examination of the search records together with correspondence between the analyst and the searcher reveals the peer reviewer had approved the search because its sensitivity was appropriate for the purpose of producing Interventional Procedures Guidance. The case study demonstrates the limitations of relying on a checklist to ensure the quality of a database search without having any contextual information.Conclusion -It is difficult for the peer reviewer to assess the subjective elements of a search without knowing why it has a particular structure or what the searcher intended. There is a risk that the peer reviewer will concentrate on the technical details, such as spelling mistakes, without having the contextual information. It is beneficial if the searcher records correspondence on key decisions and reports a summary alongside the search strategy. The narrative describes the major decisions that shaped the strategy and gives the peer reviewer an insight into the rationale for the search approach.

The Contributions of MEDLINE, Other Bibliographic Databases and Various Search Techniques to NICE Public Health Guidance

“…Previous studies have acknowledged that non-database sources can be difficult to record in a standardized format (Rader, Mann, Stansfield, Cooper, & Sampson, 2014). One method to improve recording is to provide a narrative description of how the search progressed to explain the decisions made during each iteration, as was found in a different NICE guidance programme (Craven & Levay, 2011). The narrative is a transparent record of the decision-making process during the search but it is not replicable in the way that a database strategy can be re-run exactly as before.…”

A comparison of searching the Cochrane library databases via CRD, Ovid and Wiley: implications for systematic searching and information services

“…It could be argued that the likelihood of missing an important piece of evidence is reduced if initial scoping searches are carried out, systematic searching is undertaken across a range of databases, together with the inclusion of experts in the decision-making process, which is the process used by NICE. 19,20 However, for a truly systematic search, it is preferable to be able to search across a range of databases and interfaces with confidence that the search is a comparable one and will retrieve effectively and consistently to maximum effect.…”

“…This includes inspection to check consistent spellings, syntax, line numbers and truncation, and to ensure, Boolean operators and proximity operators have been applied correctly and the terms are all nested appropriately. 20 The gIS team achieve this using a template developed for recording the search information, which includes fields such as the name of the database or website searched, date searched, version used and the number of hits retrieved. 20 Copies of all the search strategies, as they were actually run, are also retained.…”

“…20 The gIS team achieve this using a template developed for recording the search information, which includes fields such as the name of the database or website searched, date searched, version used and the number of hits retrieved. 20 Copies of all the search strategies, as they were actually run, are also retained. This is an important process, but it takes time, which is increased by differences in the search syntax used across interfaces, all of which need to be cross-checked.…”

Teaching Systematic Searching in a Baccalaureate Nursing Research Course

“…A worksheet or template that combines an outline of the search process with guided questions to promote reflection can be a useful tool to facilitate the systematic search process of novice searchers. Craven and Levay () focus on the importance of recording database search strategies for systematic reviews. They recommend a template to document the name of the database or website, database platform, version, date searched, fields utilized, and number of search results.…”