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Search filters
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Search strategy development
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As a wide variety of terms related to the ‘Type of instrument’ concept exist and are not always reported in the abstract, these terms should typically be excluded from the search to avoid the high risk that relevant studies will be missed; however, if the systematic review seeks to locate PROMS, the PROMS filter can be included in the ‘Type of instrument’ concept in the search strategy. If possible, reviewers should select their search terms and develop their strategy in consultation with an expert research librarian or information specialist, whose contribution should be acknowledged (with permission) in any related publications. When considering possible search terms, reviewers may wish to familiarize themselves with the different types of instruments available, which differ in content and in their intended purpose or application. The PROM Group (University of Oxford) has classified measurement instruments into seven major categories with examples (disease-specific; population-specific; dimension-specific; generic; individualized; summary items; and utility measures).
The JBI recommend a three-phase search process that should be undertaken in the development of a comprehensive search strategy:
Phase one involves conducting an initial limited search in a selected database (e.g. PubMed) to find articles on the topic of interest. The keywords (i.e. text words) used in the titles and abstracts of these articles, and the index terms used to describe and categorize them, should be identified, and subsequently, used to develop a full search strategy. The search strategy must be adapted and individualized for every selected database as each one uses its own controlled vocabulary (i.e. index terms).
Phase two involves running the database-specific searches in each of the bibliographic databases and information sources selected and reported in the protocol.
Phase three involves scanning the reference lists of all studies selected for critical appraisal to identify any additional relevant studies.
Information sources
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Reporting a search strategy
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