The document discusses best practices for conducting systematic reviews, emphasizing the importance of a thorough search strategy in finding and managing studies. It covers various databases, search terms, and methods to ensure comprehensive coverage of the available literature. Additionally, it highlights the need for scoping searches to assess data availability and identify gaps in research.

1. SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS
PRESENTED BY:
Clara Fowler
Manager of Research Services & Assessment
Part 1: Best Practice & MEDLINE Search

2. Daniel Parks. “The Bridges of UC Berkeley.” March 12, 2012. https://www.flickr.com/photos/parksdh/6879107592/
AGENDA
1. Discuss the importance of search
in the systematic review
methodology
2. Select where to search for
studies for a systematic review
3. Determine the availability and
overlap of published studies
4. Construct a MEDLINE Search
that will be sensitive to pick up
all available and published
studies
5. Download and manage results

3. Search Strategy
Which databases did they
search to find evidence?
What dates did they
search?
What terms did the
authors include in their
search?
What other strategies did
they use to find studies?
Who created the search
strategy?
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305737218301312

4. Search Strategy
Which databases did
they search to find
evidence?
What dates did they
search?
What terms did the
authors include in their
search?
What other strategies
did they use to find
studies?
Who created the search
strategy?
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007566.pub2/epdf/full

5. Hornbeam Arts. “Fountain.” February 18, 2015. https://www.flickr.com/photos/hornbeam/16571932022/
MEDLINE
EMBASE
CINAHL
Cochrane Library (including CENTRAL)
PsycInfo
Web of Science
SCOPUS
PubMed
COMMON DATABASES USED IN
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW SEARCHING

6. SCOPING SEARCH
Is this a new question?
Is there enough data available to complete a systematic review?
How much time will it take to complete?

7. PRACTICE
SCOPING SEARCH
Does moderate-intensity physical activity reduce fatigue in
cancer survivors?
Search for this topic in PubMed Clinical Queries
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/clinical

8. Conducted in
the last 5 years
Not in the last 5
years
Done well?
Change your
question.
Not done well?
Conduct better
review.
Update review.
Reviews exactly
the same topic?
Scoping search results are going to be useful for the Introduction
Section as well as important for checking their reference lists.
SCOPING Search Results

9. PRACTICE
SCOPING SEARCH
Does moderate-intensity physical activity reduce fatigue in
thyroid cancer survivors?
Search for this topic in PubMed Clinical Queries
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/clinical
Search for this topic in Cochrane Library
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/search
Search for this topic in PROSPERO
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/

10. Green Light Go by Victory of the People https://www.flickr.com/photos/victory/5101918/
Are there enough studies to
do a systematic review on this
topic?
Do you see a gap in the
literature regarding published
systematic reviews on this
topic?
If yes to both questions, then
it is time to do your search!

11. MD ANDERSON RESEARCH MEDICAL LIBRARY DATABASES
http://www3.mdanderson.org/library/databases/index.html

12. Each database has unique features including
different fields that can be searched and options
for combining terms.
Most records in the OVID interface are searchable
fields and it has robust searching options.

13. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppss.00516/
QUESTION: Does physical activity reduce fatigue in thyroid cancer
survivors?
MEDLINE (OVID) Database
Search – thyroid cancer
1 Thyroid Neoplasms/
2 (thyroid* and (cancer or tumor* or tumour* or neoplasm* or
carcinoma*)).mp.
3 1 OR 2
Search – physical activity
Search - fatigue
Search – clinical trials

14. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppss.00516/
MEDLINE (OVID) Database
Search – physical activity
1 exp Exercise/
2 exp Exercise Therapy/
3 exp "Physical Education and Training"/
4 Physical Fitness/
5 Physical Exertion/
6 exp Walking/
7 Running/ or Jogging/
8 Swimming/
9 (cycling or bicycling).ti,ab.
10 (exercise$ or exercising).ti,ab.
11 (physical adj3 (education or training or activit*)).ti,ab.
Search – fatigue
Search – clinical trials

15. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppss.00516/
MEDLINE (OVID) Database
Search – fatigue
1. fatigue.mp.
2. exp fatigue/
3. exp chronic fatigue syndrome/
4. sleep.mp.
5. exp sleep/
6. exp sleep disorders/
7. tiredness.mp.
8. exhaustion.mp.
9. lassitude.mp.
10. (FSMC OR Fatigue Scale).ab
11. (FSS OR Fatigue Severity Scale).ab
12. (MFI‐20 OR Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory).ab
13. (MFIS OR Modified Fatigue Impact Scale).ab
Search – clinical trials

16. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppss.00516/
MEDLINE (OVID) Database
Search – clinical trials (from Cochrane
Handbook)
1. randomized controlled trial.pt.
2. controlled clinical trial.pt.
3. randomized.ab.
4. placebo.ab.
5. drug therapy.fs.
6. randomly.ab.
7. trial.ab.
8. groups.ab.
9. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8
10. exp animals/ not humans.sh.
11. 9 not 10
From Cochrane Handbook

17. arbyreed. “Rain Ripples.” June 29, 2011. https://www.flickr.com/photos/19779889@N00/5906032944/
Create a comprehensive list of keywords with
alternate spellings
Use truncation
exercis* OR bicycle* OR run*
Use adjacency
cancer adj3 survivor*
Post-qualify your results by using NOT operator

18. Waterfall at Yosemite National Park, California
http://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/highsm/25200/25259v.jpg
Systematic Reviews Searching Class: Part 2
1. Translate MEDLINE search strategy into the EMBASE
database
2. Searching GreyLit and clinical trials
3. Download and manage results
4. Find Full Text

19. Clara Fowler
Manager of Research Services & Assessment
cfowler@mdanderson.org
Questions