Search Strategies: Creation & Translation

Database Searching

PubMed (slide deck): Crafting a Search for Systematic Reviews & Comprehensive Searches (PDF)

Web of Science Translation Tips (PDF) 

CAB Abstracts Translation Tips (PDF) — coming soon

Systematic Review Search Strategy Checklist

1. Is the search question translated well into search concepts?
2. Are there any mistakes in the use of Boolean or proximity operators?
3. Are any important subject headings (i.e., controlled vocabulary terms) missing. or have any irrelevant ones been included?
4. Are any natural language terms or spelling variants missing, or have any irrelevant ones been included? Is truncation used optimally?
5. Does the search strategy have any spelling mistakes, system syntax errors, or wrong line numbers?
6. Do any of the limits used seem unwarranted or are any potentially helpful limits missing?
7. Has the search strategy been adapted for each database to be searched?

Adapted from: McGowan J, Sampson M, Salzwedel DM, Cogo E, Foerster V, Lefebvre C. PRESS Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies: 2015 guideline statement. J Clin Epidemiol. 2016 Jul;75:40-6.

Citation Management

EndNote is the preferred tool for large systematic reviews because it offers the following features:

• Advanced options for removing duplicate records
• Bulk retrieval of full text

You can set EndNote to find full text at NC State.

More about citation management