Researcher KnowHow session presented by Michelle Maden PhD MA FHEA, Postdoc research associate in evidence synthesis, Liverpool Reviews and Implementation Group

1. Getting started with a
systematic review: planning
and doing a search
Session 2/3
#systematicreview
@LivUniKnowHow | @LivUniLRiG

2. Michelle Maden PhD MA FHEA
Postdoc research associate in evidence synthesis
Liverpool Reviews and Implementation Group
#systematicreview
www.liverpool.ac.uk/LRiG | @LivUniLRiG

3. Doing a systematic review:
A Student’s Guide
#systematicreview
www.TinyURL.com/DoingaReview2 | @LivUniLRiG

4. This session
A series of prompts and demonstrations to help you
progress your search in a systematic review:
1. What is a search strategy?
2. Where does the search ‘fit’ in the SR process?
3. Where should I search?
4. How do I search?
5. How do I manage and report my searches?

5. Defining the systematic review
• ‘A systematic review attempts to collate all empirical evidence
that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria in order to answer a
specific research question. It uses explicit, systematic methods
that are selected with a view to minimizing bias, thus providing
more reliable findings from which conclusions can be drawn and
decisions made.’
(Antman 1992, Oxman 1993)

6. Systematic review – concept & activities
§ Finding
§ Describing
§ Appraisal
§ Synthesis

7. Searching

8. What is a search strategy?
Searching for the evidence
§ Identification of
evidence to select for
your review
§ May include searching
for published and
unpublished evidence
Resources
Databases
Journals
Websites
Reference list
Experts…
Search terms
Frameworks
(PICO)
Keywords
Synonyms
Thesaurus terms
Search
techniques
Boolean
Limits
Truncation
Proximity
operators

9. Where does the search ‘fit’ in the
systematic review process?

10. Planning to do a systematic review?
• Check the sources in your subject area for previously published
systematic reviews

11. Planning and undertaking a systematic
review search strategy

12. Step 1: Consider the different types
of information available to you
• Empirical research
• Protocols
• Policy documents
• Practitioner surveys
• Evaluations
• Annual reports
• Working papers
• Conference presentations/abstracts
• Guidelines
• Theses/dissertations

13. Step 2:Identify the specific resources
that you will search
•If you were doing a SR what sources would you
search? (Please share in chat)

14. Sources
• Databases
• Conference proceedings
• Hand searching
• Grey literature (reports,
research registers,
professional/charity/
governmental websites)
Table 3.2 Databases and other sources of
information by discipline (Boland et al., 2013:pp43-
44)
UoL Library Guides http://libguides.liverpool.ac.uk/
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/library/
Cochrane ‘live’ list of sources (healthcare)
Guide to sources of information. Thames Valley and
Wessex Literature Search Protocols

15. Publication bias
• Whenever the research that appears in the published literature is
systematically unrepresentative of all completed studies on a specific
topic of interest.
• Publication bias occurs because studies with statistically significant,
'positive' results are more likely to be…

16. • published (publication bias)
• published rapidly (time lag bias)
• published in higher impact journals and more likely to be
indexed in databases (location bias)
• published in English (language bias)
• published more than once (multiple publication bias)
• cited by others (citation bias)

17. Step 3:Identify the key search terms
that you will use
1. Identify the key concepts to search on
2. Identify key search terms and synonyms
3. Use Boolean to combine your concepts
4. Use your inclusion criteria to think about limits (e.g. English
language, study designs)
5. Conduct and save the searches
6. Download the search results
7. Record the search strategies and results

18. Having a well defined review question will
help you to identify your key search terms
1. Identify keywords (could use frameworks – PICO, SPICE,
etc.) to identify concepts to search on
2. Identify alternative words (synonyms/related terms)

19. Identify key concepts and keywords
• Identify keywords
For older people does taking part in singing groups improve their mental
health?
P
I
C
O
For older people
does taking part in
singing groups
improve their mental
health?
older people
singing
Mental health

20. Identify alternative words (synonyms/
related words) - (Please share in chat)

21. Identify alternative words (synonyms/
related words) - example

22. Combining search terms - OR
• When combining synonyms, spelling
variants, acronyms, more than one
related terms of each key idea
• Retrieving documents in which one or
more of your terms may be present
• Increases the number of references you
will find
• Makes your search more sensitive, less
likely to miss anything

23. Combining search terms - OR
• (older person OR older people OR elderly OR senior
citizen(s) OR old age OR geriatric)
• (sing OR sings OR singer* OR choir OR choral OR singer OR
song OR vocal exercises)
• (mental health OR mental wellbeing OR depression OR
depressed OR anxiety OR anxious OR self-esteem)

24. Combining search terms - AND
• To combine different concepts
• When interested in finding
articles which have to contain
all aspects of a particular
concept
• Narrows down your search each
time you use AND your search
gets smaller

25. Combining search terms - AND
• (older person OR older people OR elderly OR senior
citizen(s) OR old age OR geriatric)
AND
• (sing OR sings OR singer* OR choir OR choral OR singer OR song
OR vocal exercises)
AND
• (mental health OR mental wellbeing OR depression OR depressed
OR anxiety OR anxious OR self-esteem)

26. Searching tips
“ “
“older people”
*
sing*
sing, sings, singer,
singers, singing
adj’n’
breast adj3 cancer
breast cancer,
cancer of the breast
* Availability of this function and the syntax used will vary between
databases – check the help pages of the database you are searching

27. Searching tips
• (“older person” OR “older people” OR elder* OR senior
citizen* OR old age OR geriatric)
AND
• (sing OR sings OR singing OR singer* OR choir OR choral OR song*
OR “vocal exercise*”)
AND
• (“mental health” OR “mental wellbeing” OR depress* OR anxiety OR
anxious OR self-esteem)

28. Think about limits
• Inclusion criteria
• Study design
• Date
• Language
• Human/animal/lab design…

29. Step 4:Undertake your search
• Demo

30. Grey literature
Grey Matters: A practical tool for searching
health-related grey literature. (2018)
[Internet] Ottawa: CADTH.
Available from:
https://www.cadth.ca/resources/finding-
evidence/grey-matters
• Websites of known relevant
organisations/ professional bodies/
charities etc.

32. Supplementary searching
• Citation searching
• Check references of included studies
• Contacting experts/authors

33. Recording the search

34. Reporting the search
• PRISMA guidance
http://prisma-statement.org/prismastatement/flowdiagram.aspx

35. Searching tips
Tips Tools
§ Question framework tables*
§ Searching guides (next slide)
§ Template for recording searches*
§ Use question framework(s) to define
key concepts to search
§ Look at other systematic reviews for
evidence sources or search terms
§ Check your searches:
§ for errors
§ to ensure they capture key studies
§ Save all searches
§ Consult a librarian
§ Keep detailed records of your search
* See Tools and Templates: TinyURL.com/KnowHowSRtools

36. Useful guides
• Cochrane guide “Sources to Search”
https://training.cochrane.org/handbook/current/chapter-04#section-4-3
• 4.S2 Supplementary material: Appendix of resources
https://training.cochrane.org/handbook/current/chapter-04-appendix-resources
• Thames Valley and Wessex Literature Search Protocols Appendix 1: Guide to
sources of information https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/library/wp-
content/uploads/sites/3/Literature-Searching-Protocols-Appendix-February-
2016.pdf
• Brunton, G., Stansfield, C., Caird, J., Thomas, J. (2017) ‘Finding relevant studies’,
in Gough, D., Oliver, S., Thomas, J. (eds), An Introduction to Systematic Reviews.
London: SAGE Publications Ltd. 2nd edition.
• Booth, A., Sutton, A., Papaioannou, D. (2016) ‘Chapter 6: Searching the literature’,
in Booth , A., Sutton, A., Papaioannou, D, Systematic Approaches to a Successful
Literature Review. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. 2nd edition.

37. Summary
Introduction to searching for the evidence within the
context of a systematic review
1. What a search strategy is
2. Where the search ‘fits’ in the SR process
3. Sources
4. Search techniques
5. Managing and reporting your searches

38. Doing a systematic review:
Searching
www.TinyURL.com/DoingaReview2 | @LivUniLRiG
Dr Michelle Maden
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Liverpool Reviews and Implementation Group
mmaden@liverpool.ac.uk