Systematic Review Search Strategy | How to plan and present your search terms

When you develop your systematic review protocol, you need to describe your search strategy in detail. This video will show you what goes into the search strategy, how to search with keywords and how to figure out where all those text words and subject terms fit in. The information in this video is relevant whether you are conducting a systematic review, scoping review or any other type of literature review. When you describe your search strategy in your protocol, it is important to be as detailed as possible. The JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis describes the ins and outs of a search strategy well (see link below). I show you how to organise your text words and subject terms into a table, in this video. Consult the help file of each database before you do your search seeing that each database works differently, and once you know how the database works, you can copy and paste your text words from the table. I use real-life search strategy examples and I’d like to thank the systematic reviewers who gave permission for us to use these.

Examples of the search strategy (see Appendix I) in published systematic review protocols in JBI Evidence Synthesis:

Here are a few additional videos which you may find valuable:

[rideitlikeyoustoleitHK]

Fantastic, really well done. Keep these videos coming!

[youtubehero]

I really enjoy watching your informative videos. Thank You . IS it possible for you to showcase on a video as how to identify : 1) key authors 2) key journals, 3) key papers for a particular research field

[RedeemedRestored]

8:42 Example of writeup for Search Strategy

[runjin]

Thank you so much for making such a great video! The information is detailed and useful. I have a question on the example of Search Strategy (8:00), what is the rule here for creating different combinations of Mesh terms and keywords, i.e. should we put Mesh terms all together in one sentence or should we use both mesh terms and text words for each concept and pool them all together?

[aishanaz]

This video is informative. Any video about feasibility trial search strategy. how would researcher write down search strategy in literature review. Thanks

[davidegrillo]

Thanks a lot! One question: If I use "Mesh Subheadings" in my search strategy (for example "Covid-19/rehabilitation"[Mesh]), how can I report the "subheading" correctly in my appendix about search strategy? Should I use "Covid-19/rehabilitation [Mesh]"? Thanks for all the tips!!!!

[chimdiezechukwukere]

How do you generate the texts and mesh terms. Is there a guideline to for preparing an exhaustive list?

[kakqur]

Thank you so much for the great explanation. My question is can I still use the method without putting the mesh text because my field is in education. Can i just list out all the synonyms and use the "keyword" OR "keyword" AND "keyword" method. Thank you so much and hoping for your response.

[ruthnewport]

This is really helpful, thank you! My question is: if you are using a tool like Ovid to search multiple databases simultaneously is it necessary to show how you have performed the search in each one separately? I know databases have slightly varying MeSH, so is it a must to show you've sorted through all the terms for each database separately before combining?

[amybodden]

Thank you for a very helpful explanation. Could I ask, where does one 'copy and paste' that long line of the final combined search strategy from? Or is that something we need to create ourselves? And then, how would you for instance figure out how many ((( or to add before of after each term? Thanks

[fabialiaj]

Great video. Thank you!!!! I am just wondering do I have to use Mesh search terms if I am conducting a systematic review about teacher resilience??? I am having a hard time deciding which search tool I should use...Any advice? Thanks in advance.

[usmanshuaibu]

Could you help with search strategy for : impact of technology and data management in the shipping industry. Thank you

[tasneembaabbad]

Thank you so much for this great explanation of the strategy because I was feeling that I am lost before watching this great video. Do you mind me asking you what does records retrieved mean? It has been written at the end of each search engine in the file you showed in the video.