A NOVEL SEARCH BUILDER TO EXPEDITE SEARCH STRATEGIES FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS

作者:Kamdar Biren B; Shah Pooja A; Sakamuri Sruthi; Kamdar Bharat S; Oh Jiwon
来源:International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 2015, 31(1-2): 51-53.
DOI:10.1017/S0266462315000136

摘要

Objectives: Developing a search strategy for use in a systematic review is a time-consuming process requiring construction of detailed search strings using complicated syntax, followed by iterative fine-tuning and trial-and-error testing of these strings in online biomedical search engines. Methods: Building upon limitations of existing online-only search builders, a user-friendly computer-based tool was created to expedite search strategy development as part of production of a systematic review. Results: Search Builder 1.0 is a Microsoft Excel (R)-based tool that automatically assembles search strategy text strings for PubMed (www.pubmed.com) and Embase (www.embase.com), based on a list of user-defined search terms and preferences. With the click of a button, Search Builder 1.0 automatically populates the syntax needed for functional search strings, and copies the string to the clipboard for pasting into Pubmed or Embase. The offline file-based interface of Search Builder 1.0 also allows for searches to be easily shared and saved for future reference. Conclusions: This novel, user-friendly tool can save considerable time and streamline a cumbersome step in the systematic review process.

  • 出版日期2015

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