Thanks for all the suggestions.
I agree, it would be very difficult to use just one package to search
all the databases that are required for a SR to be comprehensive. A
lot of time and skill goes into translating the search strategy to
efficiently search different databases due to very different indexing
terms and structures. I'd probably be out of a job if there was such a
package! While the searching has its own set of frustrations, I did
want to see what people use for importing, de-duplicating and sifting
the results of the searches for a systematic review. Part of the
problem is documenting each stage of the process, such as which
databases has each reference come from.
For most of us we have to use what we are given the best we can, we
use what we are familiar with, or it is about the cost. It seems as
though Endnote is where Thomson ISI are concentrating all their
efforts and in the end I suppose Reference Manager and Procite will
eventually become obsolete. There are lots of web-based products
available as well that are good for day-to-day keeping up to date,
writing papers and sharing but aren't built for handling 1000s of
results from searching multiple databases in SRs.
JabRef looks like it might be worth exploring further, but doesn't
looks so user friendly so might take a while to get familiar with.
Many thanks,
Jo
On 15/01/2011 17:05, k.hopayian wrote:
> Hello Jo and all respondents,
> It has been an eye-opener to read about the different software
> options for managing documents but there are still two problems that
> you identified that have not been commented on.
>
> 1 On the the question of searches, I don't think that any
> bibliographic or document management software can do the kind of
> search you need for an SR. Several allow you to search from within
> the package but search strategies are limited. (I use Bookends, Mac
> only software, which searches Pubmed and downloads both citation and
> pdf). But I don't know of any that will search several databases and
> use the customised filters you need for an SR.
>
> 2 Turning to the question of managing records, I found the best way
> to do this for my recent SR was to set up a database of my own. This
> permitted me to record data such as: primary/secondary ref,
> language, include/exclude choice by each independent reviewer,
> reason for exclusion, final decision to include/exclude, a comments
> box, a checkbox (for flagging documents you want to return to) etc.
> This allows you to sort, search, create lists and write reports etc,
> just as any database should. I imported all the references into the
> data base after de-duplication. I created the database in Filemaker,
> a cross-platform software for Mac and PC. It is great but not cheap!
> It also good for producing lists and reports (e.g. list of excluded
> papers and the reasons, a list of papers that have been tagged for
> special interest).
>
> I can send a screen shot of the database individually to anyone
> interested to know what it looks like (on the understanding you
> forgive its chunky appearance - it was meant for personal use after
> all - and the fact that had I known then what I know now, I would
> have built it differently).
>
> Ta Ta For Now,
> Kev
>
> Dr Kev (Kevork) Hopayian, MD FRCGP
> General Practitioner, Leiston, Suffolk
> Hon Sen Lecturer, School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice,
> University of East Anglia
> GP CPD Director, Suffolk
> [log in to unmask]
> www.angliangp.org
> Making your practice evidence-based
> http://www.rcgp.org.uk/bookshop/info_1_9780850843316.html
>
> On 13 Jan 2011, at 10:28, Jo Jordan wrote:
>
>> My query is concerned with the practical aspects of conducting a
>> systematic review.
>>
>> I have had another frustrating week downloading and de-duplicating
>> results from a large systematic review search, using a combination of
>> RefWorks and Reference Manager. As usual I have come to the conclusion
>> that all these packages, while they each have their advantages, are
>> not designed for doing systematic reviews or large structured searches
>> that involve searching a number of databases.
>>
>> I have managed to find a way round these issues, but was wondering
>> what software packages other people use for this task and to see if
>> there is anything better out there.
>>
>> Many thanks,
>> Jo
>>
>> --
>>
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Jo Jordan
>> Research Information Manager
>> Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre
>> Primary Care Sciences
>> Keele University
>> Keele, UK
>> ST5 5BG
>> Email: [log in to unmask]
>> Website: http://www.keele.ac.uk/research/pchs/pcmrc/
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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