Apologies for cross posting
Thank you to everyone who replied on and off the list to my enquiry on search strategy recording. The message from this work is simply that there is no gold standard and it depends on who is looking at the documentation. When sharing with other Information Professionals then copying and pasting from the database, and recording the date of search, database host and any limits set will probably suffice. If publishing in the public domain with a wider audience then some elaboration is necessary.
Here is a roundup of links and guidance that I have been sent which are in the public domain.
Example search strategies from NICE reports:
http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/11695/34937/34937.pdf
http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/12064/50940/50940.pdf
http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13098/50479/50479.pdf
Guidance:
Methods for the development of NICE public health guidance (2009)http://www.nice.org.uk/media/2FB/53/PHMethodsManual110509.pdf (Appendix C)
Systematic reviews: CRD’s guidance for undertaking reviews in health care (2009)http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/pdf/Systematic_Reviews.pdf (Appendix 2)
PRISMA Statement
http://www.prisma-statement.org/
Blogs:
PubMed search strategies
http://pubmedsearches.blogspot.com/
As for our organisation, we tend to follow the structure set out in scoping studies from C4EO for external reporting. Here are a couple of examples:
http://www.c4eo.org.uk/themes/vulnerablechildren/educationaloutcomes/files/c4eo_improving_educational_outcomes_scoping_review.pdf
http://www.c4eo.org.uk/themes/vulnerablechildren/emotionalbehavioural/files/c4eo_improving_the_emotional_and_behavioural_health_scoping_review.pdf
Thanks again for your responses.
Caroline Coomber
Information Specialist
Social Care Institute for Excellence
From: Caroline Coomber [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 25 February 2011 15:06
Subject: Search strategy recording
Apologies for cross posting
Dear All
I'm trying to find some examples of how other organisations document and publish their search strategies. From my initial investigations, recording broadly fits into three categories. These are
- a list of databases searched with a list of keywords
- one search strategy and some explanation that this was adapted for other databases
- search strategies for each database but labels are lifted straight from the database, no key is used to explain whether terms are freetext, exploded etc.
Do any of you use templates for search strategy recording and if so are these in the public domain? If you have any that you are willing to share with me, then feel free to contact me off the list if you prefer at [log in to unmask]
Many thanks
Caroline Coomber
Information Specialist
Social Care Institute for Excellence
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