{"id":2302,"date":"2026-09-15T00:04:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T18:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/?p=2302"},"modified":"2026-09-21T17:25:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T11:55:41","slug":"how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Do a Literature Search: Examples and Tips for PubMed, Google Scholar, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>A search requires you to think about strategy first. Map your concepts, collect synonyms for each, then join them with Boolean logic.<\/li>\n<li>Pair controlled vocabulary such as MeSH with free-text keywords. Using either alone will miss relevant studies.<\/li>\n<li>Google Scholar is excellent for scoping and citation chaining, but it cannot produce the reproducible strategy a systematic review requires. Choose databases like Web of Science and Scopus for your main search.<\/li>\n<li>Record every search line on the day you run it, including database, platform, date, and result count.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#What_Is_a_Literature_Search\" >What Is a Literature Search?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Literature_Search_vs_Literature_Review\" >Literature Search vs Literature Review<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Structured_vs_Unstructured_Literature_Search\" >Structured vs Unstructured Literature Search<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#When_Is_a_Structured_Search_Required\" >When Is a Structured Search Required?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#What_Is_Controlled_Vocabulary\" >What Is Controlled Vocabulary?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#MeSH_Emtree_CINAHL_Headings_and_the_APA_Thesaurus\" >MeSH, Emtree, CINAHL Headings, and the APA Thesaurus<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Explosion_Subheadings_and_Major_Topic\" >Explosion, Subheadings, and Major Topic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Why_Do_You_Still_Need_Keywords_Alongside_Subject_Headings\" >Why Do You Still Need Keywords Alongside Subject Headings?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#What_Are_Boolean_Operators\" >What Are Boolean Operators?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#AND_OR_NOT_What_Each_Operator_Does\" >AND, OR, NOT: What Each Operator Does<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Nesting_Parentheses_and_Order_of_Operations\" >Nesting, Parentheses, and Order of Operations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#What_Is_Truncation\" >What Is Truncation?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#What_Are_Wildcards\" >What Are Wildcards?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#5_Common_Boolean_Mistakes\" >5 Common Boolean Mistakes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#What_Is_a_Search_String\" >What Is a Search String?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Building_Blocks_Concepts_Synonyms_and_Field_Tags\" >Building Blocks: Concepts, Synonyms, and Field Tags<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Phrase_Searching_and_Proximity_Operators\" >Phrase Searching and Proximity Operators<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_Do_You_Test_and_Refine_a_Search_String\" >How Do You Test and Refine a Search String?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Best_Databases_for_a_Literature_Search\" >Best Databases for a Literature Search<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Core_Databases_by_Discipline\" >Core Databases by Discipline<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_Many_Databases_Do_You_Need\" >How Many Databases Do You Need?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Overlap_Deduplication_and_Reference_Managers\" >Overlap, Deduplication, and Reference Managers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_to_Use_Google_Scholar_for_a_Literature_Search\" >How to Use Google Scholar for a Literature Search<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Advantages_of_Google_Scholar_for_a_literature_search\" >Advantages of Google Scholar for a literature search:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Limitations_for_a_literature_search\" >Limitations for a literature search:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Advanced_Search_Operators_and_Date_Ranges\" >Advanced Search, Operators, and Date Ranges<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Cited_By_Related_Articles_and_Library_Links\" >Cited By, Related Articles, and Library Links<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Alerts_My_Library_and_Export_Workflow\" >Alerts, My Library, and Export Workflow<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Is_Searching_Google_Scholar_Enough_for_a_Research_Paper_or_Thesis\" >Is Searching Google Scholar Enough for a Research Paper or Thesis?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-30\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_to_Run_a_Literature_Search_in_PubMed\" >How to Run a Literature Search in PubMed<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-31\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Step-by-Step_Walkthrough\" >Step-by-Step Walkthrough<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-32\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Using_the_MeSH_Database_and_Search_Builder\" >Using the MeSH Database and Search Builder<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-33\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Field_Tags_and_Search_Details\" >Field Tags and Search Details<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-34\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Search_History_Combining_Lines_and_Saving_to_My_NCBI\" >Search History, Combining Lines, and Saving to My NCBI<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-35\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Exporting_Results_and_Setting_Alerts\" >Exporting Results and Setting Alerts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-36\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Common_Filters_in_Databases_and_When_to_Apply_Them\" >Common Filters in Databases and When to Apply Them<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-37\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Filter_Types_and_Typical_Use\" >Filter Types and Typical Use<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-38\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#When_Should_You_Avoid_Filters\" >When Should You Avoid Filters?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-39\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Better_Alternatives_Validated_Search_Filters_and_Hedges\" >Better Alternatives: Validated Search Filters and Hedges<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-40\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_Do_You_Find_Grey_Literature\" >How Do You Find Grey Literature?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-41\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Where_to_Look\" >Where to Look<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-42\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Search_Tactics_for_Websites_and_Repositories\" >Search Tactics for Websites and Repositories<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-43\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Documenting_Grey_Literature_Searches\" >Documenting Grey Literature Searches<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-44\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#What_Is_Citation_Chaining\" >What Is Citation Chaining?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-45\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Backward_vs_Forward_Chaining\" >Backward vs Forward Chaining<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-46\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Tools_That_Automate_It\" >Tools That Automate It<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-47\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#When_is_Citation_Chaining_Most_Important\" >When is Citation Chaining Most Important?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-48\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Citation_chaining_is_always_meant_to_complement_database_searching_but_is_especially_important_in_the_following_situations\" >Citation chaining is always meant to complement database searching, but is especially important in the following situations:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-49\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_to_Set_Inclusion_and_Exclusion_Criteria_for_a_Literature_Search\" >How to Set Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria for a Literature Search<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-50\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Frameworks_PICO_PCC_SPIDER_SPICE\" >Frameworks: PICO, PCC, SPIDER, SPICE<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-51\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Criteria_Domains_to_Define_Before_Screening\" >Criteria Domains to Define Before Screening<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-52\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Title_and_Abstract_Screening_vs_Full-Text_Screening\" >Title and Abstract Screening vs Full-Text Screening<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-53\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Piloting_Criteria_and_Recording_Reasons_for_Exclusion\" >Piloting Criteria and Recording Reasons for Exclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-54\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_to_Evaluate_Sources\" >How to Evaluate Sources<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-55\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Authority_Currency_Relevance_and_Methods\" >Authority, Currency, Relevance, and Methods<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-56\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Critical_Appraisal_Tools_by_Study_Design\" >Critical Appraisal Tools by Study Design<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-57\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Checking_for_Retractions_and_Corrections\" >Checking for Retractions and Corrections<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-58\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Search_Strategies_by_Review_Type\" >Search Strategies by Review Type<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-59\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_Do_You_Document_and_Report_a_Search\" >How Do You Document and Report a Search?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-60\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#What_Should_You_Record_for_Each_Database\" >What Should You Record for Each Database?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-61\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#PRISMA-S_and_Flow_Diagram_Basics\" >PRISMA-S and Flow Diagram Basics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-62\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Reproducibility_Checklist\" >Reproducibility Checklist<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-63\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" >Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-64\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_Long_Does_a_Literature_Search_Take\" >How Long Does a Literature Search Take?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-65\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#What_Do_I_Do_if_I_Get_Too_Many_Results_in_My_Search\" >What Do I Do if I Get Too Many Results in My Search?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-66\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_Many_Databases_Should_I_Search_for_a_Systematic_Review\" >How Many Databases Should I Search for a Systematic Review?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-67\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Is_Google_Scholar_Good_Enough_for_Academic_Research\" >Is Google Scholar Good Enough for Academic Research?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-68\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_Do_I_Find_Free_Full-Text_Articles_Legally\" >How Do I Find Free Full-Text Articles Legally?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-69\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_Do_I_Know_When_to_Stop_Searching_for_Literature\" >How Do I Know When to Stop Searching for Literature?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-70\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#Can_I_Use_AI_Tools_for_a_Literature_Search\" >Can I Use AI Tools for a Literature Search?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-71\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/#How_Do_I_Search_PubMed_for_Systematic_Reviews_Only\" >How Do I Search PubMed for Systematic Reviews Only?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_Literature_Search\"><\/span>What Is a Literature Search?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A literature search is a structured, documented process for finding published and unpublished evidence on a defined question. It is a method, not a reading task, and someone else should be able to repeat it.<\/p>\n<p>The kind of search you need depends on why you are searching:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Background scan: you need orientation in an unfamiliar field, fast.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-synthesize-literature-in-research-literature-synthesis-examples-and-tips\/\">Evidence synthesis<\/a>: you need every eligible study, because omissions bias the result, i.e., you are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/what-is-literature-review-definition-types-and-examples\/\">conducting a literature review for publication<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-find-research-gaps-tips-to-identify-gaps-in-the-literature\/\">Find research gaps<\/a>: you need to prove what has not yet been studied, in order to justify a study and get funding or approval.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Literature_Search_vs_Literature_Review\"><\/span>Literature Search vs Literature Review<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><strong>Feature<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"255\"><strong>Literature search<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"255\"><strong>Literature review<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Purpose<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Locate all relevant evidence on a question<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Interpret and synthesize that evidence<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Output<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">A set of records plus a documented strategy<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">A written synthesis or argument<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Scope<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Set by the protocol and eligibility criteria<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Set by the analytic or narrative aim<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Core skills<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Databases, operators, filters, chaining<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Appraisal, extraction, synthesis<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">What you record<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Search lines, dates, platforms, result counts<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Study characteristics, findings, quality ratings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">When it ends<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">When new searches return only known records<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">When the argument is complete and defensible<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Structured_vs_Unstructured_Literature_Search\"><\/span>Structured vs Unstructured Literature Search<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Feature<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Structured search<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Unstructured search<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Starting point<\/td>\n<td>A defined question broken into 2-4 concepts<\/td>\n<td>A topic and a hunch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Terms<\/td>\n<td>Synonyms plus subject headings, listed in advance<\/td>\n<td>Whatever comes to mind at the keyboard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Logic<\/td>\n<td>Boolean blocks combined deliberately<\/td>\n<td>Words typed into 1 box<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sources<\/td>\n<td>Databases chosen by coverage, plus grey literature<\/td>\n<td>Whichever database or search engine is nearest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Record kept<\/td>\n<td>Every line, date, platform, and result count<\/td>\n<td>None<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Repeatable<\/td>\n<td>Yes, by someone else<\/td>\n<td>No, often not even by you<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Stops when<\/td>\n<td>New searches return only known records<\/td>\n<td>You have enough to start writing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Best for<\/td>\n<td>Research papers, systematic reviews, theses and dissertations, grant applications<\/td>\n<td>Orientation, background reading, teaching prep, classroom presentations, undergraduate coursework<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Unstructured searching is the right tool for finding your footing in an unfamiliar field. The problem is only when it gets reported as though it were structured.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Is_a_Structured_Search_Required\"><\/span>When Is a Structured Search Required?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>You are writing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-write-and-publish-a-study-protocol-meaning-examples-format\/\">protocol<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/what-is-a-dissertation-best-practices\/\">dissertation<\/a>, grant application, or any review that will be peer reviewed.<\/li>\n<li>The conclusion will inform practice, policy, or spending decisions.<\/li>\n<li>You must demonstrate that a gap exists, rather than simply assert it.<\/li>\n<li>Several people are screening, so the method has to be explicit enough to share.<\/li>\n<li>You will update the work later and need to rerun the same searches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Controlled_Vocabulary\"><\/span>What Is Controlled Vocabulary?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Controlled vocabulary is a fixed list of subject terms that indexers assign to every record, so that 1 concept carries 1 label regardless of the words the authors happened to choose.<\/p>\n<p>It solves the synonym problem at the source. A record indexed under &#8220;Myocardial Infarction&#8221; is retrievable whether the paper says heart attack, MI, or coronary thrombosis.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"MeSH_Emtree_CINAHL_Headings_and_the_APA_Thesaurus\"><\/span>MeSH, Emtree, CINAHL Headings, and the APA Thesaurus<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"157\"><strong>Database<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"127\"><strong>Thesaurus<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"341\"><strong>Notes<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"157\">PubMed and MEDLINE<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">MeSH<\/td>\n<td width=\"341\">Enter as &#8220;term&#8221;[Mesh]; narrower terms are included automatically<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"157\">Embase<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Emtree<\/td>\n<td width=\"341\">Larger drug and device vocabulary; add \/exp to explode a term<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"157\">CINAHL<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">CINAHL Headings<\/td>\n<td width=\"341\">Nursing and allied health focus; searched in the MH field<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"157\">PsycINFO<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">APA Thesaurus<\/td>\n<td width=\"341\">Behavioral science terms; searched in the DE field<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"157\">Cochrane Library<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">MeSH<\/td>\n<td width=\"341\">Many CENTRAL records are unindexed, so free text is essential<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"157\">Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">None<\/td>\n<td width=\"341\">No subject headings at all; free-text searching only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Explosion_Subheadings_and_Major_Topic\"><\/span>Explosion, Subheadings, and Major Topic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Explosion retrieves a heading together with every narrower heading beneath it in the tree; it is on by default in PubMed.<\/li>\n<li>Turn explosion off only when the narrower terms are clearly irrelevant to your question.<\/li>\n<li>Subheadings, such as drug therapy or adverse effects, restrict a heading to 1 aspect of the topic.<\/li>\n<li>Major topic, entered as [majr], keeps only records where the concept is a main focus rather than a passing mention.<\/li>\n<li>Subheadings and major topic both raise precision and lower sensitivity, so avoid them in a systematic review unless results are unmanageable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Do_You_Still_Need_Keywords_Alongside_Subject_Headings\"><\/span>Why Do You Still Need Keywords Alongside Subject Headings?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Indexing lags publication, so the newest records often carry no headings yet.<\/li>\n<li>Indexing is done by people and is inconsistent, particularly for secondary outcomes.<\/li>\n<li>Emerging concepts have no heading until the vocabulary catches up, sometimes years later.<\/li>\n<li>Ahead-of-print and publisher-supplied records in PubMed are not yet indexed.<\/li>\n<li>Several major databases have no thesaurus at all.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Boolean_Operators\"><\/span>What Are Boolean Operators?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Boolean operators are the connectors AND, OR, and NOT, which tell a database how to combine your terms. They decide whether your results narrow, widen, or shrink by exclusion.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AND_OR_NOT_What_Each_Operator_Does\"><\/span>AND, OR, NOT: What Each Operator Does<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\"><strong>Operator<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"280\"><strong>Effect on results<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"244\"><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\">AND<\/td>\n<td width=\"280\">Narrows: every record must contain both concepts. Use it between different concepts.<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">delirium AND prevention<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\">OR<\/td>\n<td width=\"280\">Widens: a record needs only 1 of the listed terms. Use it between synonyms.<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">teenager OR adolescent OR youth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\">NOT<\/td>\n<td width=\"280\">Excludes: removes every record containing the second term. Use it sparingly.<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">dementia NOT alzheimer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Most databases require operators in capitals. If typed in lowercase, a Boolean operator is often treated as an ordinary word and your results will change.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Nesting_Parentheses_and_Order_of_Operations\"><\/span>Nesting, Parentheses, and Order of Operations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Databases process OR inside parentheses first, then AND, then NOT. Without parentheses, a mixed query is read in an order you did not intend.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Correct: (teenager OR adolescent) AND vaping. Both synonyms are tied to the second concept.<\/li>\n<li>Incorrect: teenager OR adolescent AND vaping. This returns every record about teenagers, plus a much smaller set about adolescents who vape.<\/li>\n<li>Keep 1 concept per parenthesized block, then join the blocks with AND.<\/li>\n<li>Build each block as a separate line in the search history, so you can test and swap blocks independently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Truncation\"><\/span>What Is Truncation?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Truncation is a symbol added to a word root so that the database retrieves every ending of that root. Typing nurs* returns nurse, nurses, and nursing in a single line.<\/p>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\"><strong>Symbol<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"280\"><strong>Function<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"244\"><strong>Where it works<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\">*<\/td>\n<td width=\"280\">Truncation: stands for any number of characters after the root<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\">$<\/td>\n<td width=\"280\">Truncation, in the Ovid syntax<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid PsycINFO<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\">?<\/td>\n<td width=\"280\">Wildcard: stands for 1 character or none<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Ovid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\">#<\/td>\n<td width=\"280\">Wildcard: stands for exactly 1 character, which must be present<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">CINAHL, Ovid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"100\">Not supported<\/td>\n<td width=\"280\">Enter each variant as a separate term joined by OR<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Google Scholar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep at least 4 characters before the symbol. Truncating cat* pulls in cataract, catastrophe, and catheter.<\/li>\n<li>In PubMed, truncation switches off automatic term mapping, so no MeSH terms are added for you.<\/li>\n<li>PubMed expands a truncated root to a maximum of 600 variants, then warns you; very short roots exceed this silently in older interfaces.<\/li>\n<li>Truncation is best used for for guessing at words humans chose freely. Don\u2019t use truncation for subject headings as there&#8217;s nothing left to guess. Here\u2019s an analogy: truncation is like searching your phone contacts for &#8220;Jen&#8221; to catch Jen, Jenny, and Jennifer, because you don&#8217;t remember how you saved her number. Subject headings are like picking a country from a dropdown menu on a form. Typing &#8220;Den*&#8221; into a dropdown does nothing useful. You just scroll to Denmark and click it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Wildcards\"><\/span>What Are Wildcards?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A wildcard is a symbol standing in for 1 character, or for no character at all. It catches spelling variants inside a single term: wom?n retrieves both woman and women.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use wildcards for US and UK spellings: behavio?r covers behavior and behaviour.<\/li>\n<li>Use them for irregular plurals, where truncation would not help.<\/li>\n<li>Wildcards are placed inside the word whereas truncation is placed at the end of it.<\/li>\n<li>Support varies by platform, so check the symbol table above before you paste a string into a new database.<\/li>\n<li>Google Scholar supports neither, so spell out each variant and join the variants with OR.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Common_Boolean_Mistakes\"><\/span>5 Common Boolean Mistakes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Using AND between synonyms, which demands that both words appear and collapses your results to near zero.<\/li>\n<li>Using NOT to remove a topic, which also removes relevant records that merely mention it in passing.<\/li>\n<li>Omitting parentheses around an OR block, so the operators execute in the wrong order.<\/li>\n<li>Typing operators in lowercase, so the database reads them as search terms.<\/li>\n<li>Combining every concept in a single line, which leaves you no way to see which block is failing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_Search_String\"><\/span>What Is a Search String?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A search string is the complete query you paste into 1 database, combining terms, Boolean operators, field tags, and truncation in the syntax that database understands.<\/p>\n<p>A string is never universal. The same concepts must be retranslated for each platform, because subject headings, field tags, and proximity syntax all differ.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Building_Blocks_Concepts_Synonyms_and_Field_Tags\"><\/span>Building Blocks: Concepts, Synonyms, and Field Tags<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Break the question into 2 to 4 concepts. More than 4 usually over-restricts the search.<\/li>\n<li>For each concept, list synonyms, abbreviations, brand and generic names, spelling variants, and older terminology.<\/li>\n<li>Add the relevant subject headings for that database alongside the free-text terms.<\/li>\n<li>Join everything within a concept using OR, and wrap the block in parentheses.<\/li>\n<li>Attach field tags to the free-text terms, usually title and abstract, to keep precision reasonable.<\/li>\n<li>Join the concept blocks with AND, then run and inspect the result.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Phrase_Searching_and_Proximity_Operators\"><\/span>Phrase Searching and Proximity Operators<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Quotation marks force words to appear together in order. Proximity operators are looser: they require the terms to be close, in any order, which often recovers records that a rigid phrase misses.<\/p>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"160\"><strong>Syntax<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"220\"><strong>Meaning<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"244\"><strong>Platform<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"160\">&#8220;quality of life&#8221;<\/td>\n<td width=\"220\">Exact phrase, in this order<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Most databases, including Google Scholar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"160\">pain ADJ3 management<\/td>\n<td width=\"220\">Within 3 words, either order<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"160\">pain N3 management<\/td>\n<td width=\"220\">Within 3 words, either order<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">CINAHL, EBSCO platforms<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"160\">pain W3 management<\/td>\n<td width=\"220\">Within 3 words, in this order<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">CINAHL, EBSCO platforms<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"160\">&#8220;pain management&#8221;~3<\/td>\n<td width=\"220\">Within 3 words, either order<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Scopus, Web of Science variants<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"160\">Not supported<\/td>\n<td width=\"220\">Use phrases instead<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">PubMed basic search, Google Scholar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_You_Test_and_Refine_a_Search_String\"><\/span>How Do You Test and Refine a Search String?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Assemble 5 to 10 papers you already know are eligible, then check that your string retrieves all of them.<\/li>\n<li>If a known paper is missing, open it from that same database and take note of the subject headings and title words you overlooked.<\/li>\n<li>Scan the first 50 titles. If they\u2019re mostly highly irrelevant, it usually means a term is too broad or a field tag is too wide.<\/li>\n<li>Run each concept block on its own and compare result counts. A block returning very few records is the likely weak point.<\/li>\n<li>Ask a second reviewer or a librarian to check the string before you run the final version.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Best_Databases_for_a_Literature_Search\"><\/span>Best Databases for a Literature Search<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Choose databases by subject coverage first, then by the features you need, such as citation tracking or a thesaurus. Searching more databases is not automatically better; searching the wrong ones wastes screening time.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Core_Databases_by_Discipline\"><\/span>Core Databases by Discipline<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"173\"><strong>Database<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"277\"><strong>Best for<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"173\"><strong>Access<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"173\">PubMed and MEDLINE<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Biomedicine, clinical practice, public health<\/td>\n<td width=\"173\">Free<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"173\">Embase<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Drugs, medical devices, European and conference literature<\/td>\n<td width=\"173\">Subscription<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"173\">Cochrane Library, including CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials)<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Trials and existing systematic reviews<\/td>\n<td width=\"173\">Free in many countries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"173\">CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature)<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Nursing and allied health<\/td>\n<td width=\"173\">Subscription<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"173\">PsycINFO<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Psychology and behavioral science<\/td>\n<td width=\"173\">Subscription<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"173\">Scopus<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Multidisciplinary coverage with strong citation tracking<\/td>\n<td width=\"173\">Subscription (Scopus Preview is free and so is author search and journal rankings search)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"173\">Web of Science<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Multidisciplinary citation indexes, cited reference searching<\/td>\n<td width=\"173\">Subscription<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"173\">ERIC (Education Resources Information Center)<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Education research and policy<\/td>\n<td width=\"173\">Free<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"173\">Google Scholar<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Scoping, citation chaining, grey literature<\/td>\n<td width=\"173\">Free<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Many_Databases_Do_You_Need\"><\/span>How Many Databases Do You Need?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For a systematic review, plan on 3 to 4 subject databases plus trial registries and grey literature. For a background scan, 1 database plus citation chaining is usually enough.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In health research, the common core is MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL, with CINAHL or PsycINFO added by topic.<\/li>\n<li>Add 1 multidisciplinary database, such as Scopus or Web of Science, when the topic crosses fields.<\/li>\n<li>Add a regional or language-specific database when the evidence is likely to be concentrated outside English-language journals.<\/li>\n<li>Stop adding databases when a new source returns almost nothing you have not already seen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Overlap_Deduplication_and_Reference_Managers\"><\/span>Overlap, Deduplication, and Reference Managers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Export from each database separately and keep the original file, named with the database and date.<\/li>\n<li>Import everything into a reference manager, such as EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley, before you deduplicate.<\/li>\n<li>Deduplicate in 2 passes: automatic matching first, then a manual check of near-duplicates with differing page numbers or DOIs.<\/li>\n<li>Record the number of records before and after deduplication; the PRISMA flow diagram requires both.<\/li>\n<li>Screening tools such as Rayyan or Covidence handle deduplication and blinded screening in 1 place.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Use_Google_Scholar_for_a_Literature_Search\"><\/span>How to Use Google Scholar for a Literature Search<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google Scholar indexes the full text of an enormous, undocumented range of material, including books, theses, and preprints. That breadth makes it excellent for discovery and poor for reproducibility.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Advantages_of_Google_Scholar_for_a_literature_search\"><\/span>Advantages of Google Scholar for a literature search:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Free, and it spans nearly every discipline.<\/li>\n<li>Full-text indexing surfaces phrases buried deep in a paper, which subject databases never index.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Cited by&#8221; makes forward citation chaining fast and free.<\/li>\n<li>Library Links connects results to your institution&#8217;s subscriptions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Limitations_for_a_literature_search\"><\/span>Limitations for a literature search:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>No controlled vocabulary, no truncation, and no wildcards.<\/li>\n<li>Queries are capped at roughly 256 characters, and anything beyond that is silently ignored.<\/li>\n<li>Only about the first 1,000 results of any search can be viewed or exported.<\/li>\n<li>Coverage is undisclosed and changes without notice, so the same search can return different results next month.<\/li>\n<li>Bulk export is impractical, since records must be saved a few at a time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Advanced_Search_Operators_and_Date_Ranges\"><\/span>Advanced Search, Operators, and Date Ranges<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the Advanced search panel from the menu to set phrase, author, journal, and year fields without memorizing syntax.<\/li>\n<li>Quotation marks work for phrases; OR must be capitalized; a minus sign immediately before a word excludes it.<\/li>\n<li>allintitle: restricts every following word to the title, which is the fastest way to cut a bloated result set.<\/li>\n<li>author: and source: limit by author and publication.<\/li>\n<li>Set a custom year range in the left sidebar, and untick patents and citations to remove clutter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cited_By_Related_Articles_and_Library_Links\"><\/span>Cited By, Related Articles, and Library Links<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Cited by&#8221; lists later papers that cite the record: this is forward citation chaining.<\/li>\n<li>Tick &#8220;Search within citing articles&#8221; to run a keyword search inside that citing set, which is far more precise than browsing it.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Related articles&#8221; surfaces papers with similar text and citation patterns, useful when your terminology is uncertain.<\/li>\n<li>Configure Library Links under Settings so results show your institution&#8217;s full-text access.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;All versions&#8221; often reveals a free repository copy of a paywalled paper.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alerts_My_Library_and_Export_Workflow\"><\/span>Alerts, My Library, and Export Workflow<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Create an alert on a saved search to receive new matches by email.<\/li>\n<li>Save promising records to My Library, then export them in batches to your reference manager.<\/li>\n<li>Set the bibliography manager format under Settings so each result shows an import link.<\/li>\n<li>Screen a predefined number of results, commonly the first 100 to 200 sorted by relevance, and record where you stopped.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Searching_Google_Scholar_Enough_for_a_Research_Paper_or_Thesis\"><\/span>Is Searching Google Scholar Enough for a Research Paper or Thesis?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Google Scholar is a valuable supplementary source, but its undisclosed coverage, 1,000-result ceiling, and lack of reproducible syntax rule it out as a primary database.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use it to find grey literature, theses, and reports that the subject databases miss.<\/li>\n<li>Use it for forward chaining from key papers and for validating your main search.<\/li>\n<li>Always report how many results you screened and how you sorted them.<\/li>\n<li>Never present it as your only source in a review, especially if you\u2019re describing it as systematic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Run_a_Literature_Search_in_PubMed\"><\/span>How to Run a Literature Search in PubMed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>PubMed is free, covers biomedicine comprehensively, and combines MeSH indexing with flexible free-text searching. Work in the Advanced Search Builder rather than the single search box.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step-by-Step_Walkthrough\"><\/span>Step-by-Step Walkthrough<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Write the question and split it into 2 to 4 concepts.<\/li>\n<li>Open the MeSH Database and identify the best heading for each concept.<\/li>\n<li>Run each MeSH heading as its own search line and note the result count.<\/li>\n<li>Build a free-text line for the same concept using [tiab], synonyms, and truncation.<\/li>\n<li>Combine the MeSH line and the free-text line for that concept with OR.<\/li>\n<li>Repeat for every concept, so each has a single combined line.<\/li>\n<li>Combine the concept lines with AND in the Advanced Search history.<\/li>\n<li>Apply filters last, save the search to My NCBI, and export the results.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Using_the_MeSH_Database_and_Search_Builder\"><\/span>Using the MeSH Database and Search Builder<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Search the MeSH Database for your concept, then read the scope note to confirm the term means what you assume.<\/li>\n<li>Check the tree display for broader and narrower headings you may want to include or exclude.<\/li>\n<li>Use &#8220;Add to search builder&#8221; to generate correct syntax automatically.<\/li>\n<li>Note the entry terms listed on the MeSH record: they are a ready-made synonym list for your free-text line.<\/li>\n<li>Remember that MeSH indexing does not cover ahead-of-print records, so the free-text line does that work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Field_Tags_and_Search_Details\"><\/span>Field Tags and Search Details<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\"><strong>Tag<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"277\"><strong>What it searches<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"227\"><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\">[tiab]<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Title and abstract<\/td>\n<td width=\"227\">delirium[tiab]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\">[tw]<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Text words across several fields<\/td>\n<td width=\"227\">delirium[tw]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\">[mh] or [Mesh]<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">MeSH heading, exploded by default<\/td>\n<td width=\"227\">&#8220;Delirium&#8221;[Mesh]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\">[majr]<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">MeSH heading flagged as a major topic<\/td>\n<td width=\"227\">&#8220;Delirium&#8221;[majr]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\">[au]<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Author name<\/td>\n<td width=\"227\">smith j[au]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\">[ta]<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Journal title<\/td>\n<td width=\"227\">lancet[ta]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\">[dp]<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Date of publication, including ranges<\/td>\n<td width=\"227\">2015:2026[dp]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\">[pt]<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Publication type<\/td>\n<td width=\"227\">randomized controlled trial[pt]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\">[la]<\/td>\n<td width=\"277\">Language<\/td>\n<td width=\"227\">english[la]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Open &#8220;Search details&#8221; on the results page to see how PubMed translated your query. Automatic term mapping adds MeSH terms for you, but it is switched off by quotation marks, truncation, and field tags.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Search_History_Combining_Lines_and_Saving_to_My_NCBI\"><\/span>Search History, Combining Lines, and Saving to My NCBI<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Every line in the Advanced Search history gets a number, such as #3, which you can reuse in later lines.<\/li>\n<li>Combine lines by entering #1 AND #2, or by using the Actions menu beside each line.<\/li>\n<li>Copy the full history into your protocol before you leave the session, since it clears after 8 hours.<\/li>\n<li>Sign in to My NCBI to save searches permanently and to schedule email alerts.<\/li>\n<li>Use the same account to store collections of records and your filter preferences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Exporting_Results_and_Setting_Alerts\"><\/span>Exporting Results and Setting Alerts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Use Save, then choose PubMed format or CSV, to export up to 10,000 records at a time.<\/li>\n<li>Choose the RIS-compatible option when importing into EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley.<\/li>\n<li>Set the alert frequency to match your project; monthly is adequate for most reviews.<\/li>\n<li>Rerun and report the search close to submission, since reviewers expect currency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Filters_in_Databases_and_When_to_Apply_Them\"><\/span>Common Filters in Databases and When to Apply Them<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Filters are prebuilt limits applied after your search runs. They save time, but most depend on indexing that is incomplete, so they can discard eligible studies without you noticing anything.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Filter_Types_and_Typical_Use\"><\/span>Filter Types and Typical Use<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><strong>Filter<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"255\"><strong>Use it when<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"255\"><strong>Caution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Date<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">A guideline or technology changed the field at a known point<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Cuts out foundational work. Always justify the cutoff in your literature review.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Language<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Translation is genuinely unavailable to you<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Introduces language bias; report it as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-write-limitations-of-the-study-examples-and-tips\/\">limitation<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Publication type<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">You need 1 design, such as randomized trials<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Depends on indexing that is often missing or wrong<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Species<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Only human evidence is eligible<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Unindexed recent records are dropped<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Age group<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">The question is specific to 1 age band<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Poorly indexed; free-text age terms work better<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Free full text<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">You need something to read this afternoon<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Skews to open access journals; never use it in a review<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">Sex<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">The question is genuinely sex-specific<\/td>\n<td width=\"255\">Frequently absent from records<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Should_You_Avoid_Filters\"><\/span>When Should You Avoid Filters?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Avoid a filter whenever it depends on indexing that may be missing. Free full text, age group, and publication type filters all silently discard recent or poorly indexed records.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid all filters in a scoping review, where breadth is the point.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid the free full text filter in any review, because it selects for your library rather than for relevance.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid stacking 3 or more filters, since the losses multiply and become impossible to trace.<\/li>\n<li>If you must limit, do it with search lines you can see and report, not with checkboxes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Better_Alternatives_Validated_Search_Filters_and_Hedges\"><\/span>Better Alternatives: Validated Search Filters and Hedges<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The Cochrane Highly Sensitive Search Strategies identify randomized trials in MEDLINE with tested sensitivity.<\/li>\n<li>The ISSG Search Filter Resource collects filters for study designs, populations, and topics across platforms.<\/li>\n<li>The McMaster Hedges offer tested strategies for etiology, prognosis, diagnosis, and qualitative research.<\/li>\n<li>Paste a validated filter as its own search line, then combine it with AND, so it appears in your reported strategy.<\/li>\n<li>Report the filter and its version, exactly as you would cite any other method.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_You_Find_Grey_Literature\"><\/span>How Do You Find Grey Literature?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Search repositories, agency and government sites, trial registries, preprint servers, and dissertation databases, then run targeted site: and filetype: searches on the open web.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/grey-literature-definition-sources-types-evaluation\/\">Grey literature<\/a> matters because negative and inconclusive findings are less likely to reach journals. Omitting it biases your review toward positive or statistically significant results.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_Look\"><\/span>Where to Look<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\"><strong>Source type<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"233\"><strong>Examples<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"244\"><strong>What you get<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\">Theses and dissertations<\/td>\n<td width=\"233\">ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, CORE, OpenAIRE<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Full studies, often never published elsewhere<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\">Trial registries<\/td>\n<td width=\"233\">ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN, WHO ICTRP<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Ongoing, completed, and unreported trials<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\">Preprint servers<\/td>\n<td width=\"233\">medRxiv, bioRxiv, SSRN, PsyArXiv<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Findings ahead of peer review<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\">Government and agency reports<\/td>\n<td width=\"233\">WHO IRIS, CDC, NICE, CADTH Grey Matters<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Guidelines, evaluations, national statistics<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\">Conference material<\/td>\n<td width=\"233\">Embase conference records, society websites<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Abstracts and posters, often years before publication<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\">Institutional repositories<\/td>\n<td width=\"233\">University archives, OpenDOAR, Zenodo<\/td>\n<td width=\"244\">Working papers, datasets, technical reports<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Search_Tactics_for_Websites_and_Repositories\"><\/span>Search Tactics for Websites and Repositories<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep queries short. Most site search boxes cannot handle nested Boolean logic, so use 2 or 3 words.<\/li>\n<li>Use site:who.int or site:nice.org.uk in a web search engine to search 1 organization at a time.<\/li>\n<li>Add filetype:pdf to obtain reports rather than news pages.<\/li>\n<li>Browse the publications section of key organizations directly, since their internal search is often weak.<\/li>\n<li>Contact authors and topic experts for unpublished work, and record who you contacted and when.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Documenting_Grey_Literature_Searches\"><\/span>Documenting Grey Literature Searches<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Record the site name, URL, date searched, terms used, and the number of results screened.<\/li>\n<li>Decide in advance how deep you will go, such as the first 100 results, and apply that rule everywhere.<\/li>\n<li>Save a copy or a web archive link of anything you cite, because agency documents are moved and withdrawn.<\/li>\n<li>Report grey literature separately in the PRISMA flow diagram, under \u201crecords identified from other sources\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Citation_Chaining\"><\/span>What Is Citation Chaining?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Citation chaining means following citations away from a known paper: backward into its reference list, and forward into the papers that have since cited it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Backward_vs_Forward_Chaining\"><\/span>Backward vs Forward Chaining<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Backward chaining reads the reference list of a key paper to find earlier work, including material your terms never matched.<\/li>\n<li>Forward chaining finds newer papers citing that key paper, which is the fastest route to recent developments.<\/li>\n<li>Do both from every included study, not only from the papers you started with.<\/li>\n<li>Chaining is a supplement to database searching, never a replacement, because it inherits the biases of the paper you start from.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tools_That_Automate_It\"><\/span>Tools That Automate It<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Scopus and Web of Science offer cited reference searching with the cleanest citation data.<\/li>\n<li>Google Scholar provides free forward chaining through &#8220;Cited by&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/jrsm.1563\">citationchaser<\/a>, a free and open-source R package, runs backward and forward chaining in bulk from a list of DOIs.<\/li>\n<li>Semantic Scholar and Lens.org provide open citation data and free bulk export.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_is_Citation_Chaining_Most_Important\"><\/span>When is Citation Chaining Most Important?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Citation_chaining_is_always_meant_to_complement_database_searching_but_is_especially_important_in_the_following_situations\"><\/span>Citation chaining is always meant to complement database searching, but is especially important in the following situations:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The concept has no agreed name, so keyword searching cannot work reliably.<\/li>\n<li>The field is interdisciplinary and scattered across databases you cannot all access.<\/li>\n<li>You are building or testing a theory, as in a realist review.<\/li>\n<li>You need to verify recall: if chaining surfaces eligible papers your search missed, the search needs revision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Set_Inclusion_and_Exclusion_Criteria_for_a_Literature_Search\"><\/span>How to Set Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria for a Literature Search<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Criteria define what counts as eligible before you see the results. Setting them afterward invites bias, because you are then choosing studies rather than applying a rule.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frameworks_PICO_PCC_SPIDER_SPICE\"><\/span>Frameworks: PICO, PCC, SPIDER, SPICE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><strong>Framework<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"213\"><strong>Best for<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"297\"><strong>Elements<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/what-is-the-pico-framework-in-research-definition-uses-examples\/\">PICO<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"213\">Clinical effectiveness questions<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">PCC<\/td>\n<td width=\"213\">Scoping and mapping reviews<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Population, Concept, Context<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-research-hypothesis-examples-formulation-thesis-research-papers\/#SPIDER\">SPIDER<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"213\">Qualitative and mixed-methods questions<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, Research type<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-research-hypothesis-examples-formulation-thesis-research-papers\/#SPICE\">SPICE<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"213\">Service, program, and policy evaluation<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Setting, Perspective, Intervention, Comparison, Evaluation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-research-hypothesis-examples-formulation-thesis-research-papers\/#CIMO\">CMO<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"213\">Realist reviews<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Context, Mechanism, Outcome<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Criteria_Domains_to_Define_Before_Screening\"><\/span>Criteria Domains to Define Before Screening<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Population: age, condition, severity, setting, and how each will be verified.<\/li>\n<li>Intervention and comparator: dose, duration, delivery, and acceptable variations.<\/li>\n<li>Outcomes: which outcomes make a study eligible, and which are merely of interest.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/types-of-study-designs-in-biomedical-research\/\">Study design<\/a>: which designs are included, and whether protocols and abstracts count.<\/li>\n<li>Date and language, each with a stated reason.<\/li>\n<li>Publication status: whether preprints, theses, and conference abstracts are eligible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Title_and_Abstract_Screening_vs_Full-Text_Screening\"><\/span>Title and Abstract Screening vs Full-Text Screening<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>At title and abstract stage, exclude only on the basis of criteria visible in that text, and keep anything uncertain.<\/li>\n<li>Move to full text whenever the abstract is missing, ambiguous, or silent on a key criterion.<\/li>\n<li>Record a single reason for exclusion at full-text stage; PRISMA requires these counts by reason.<\/li>\n<li>Use 2 independent screeners where possible, and agree in advance how disagreements are resolved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Piloting_Criteria_and_Recording_Reasons_for_Exclusion\"><\/span>Piloting Criteria and Recording Reasons for Exclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Pilot the criteria on 30 to 50 records before full screening begins.<\/li>\n<li>Measure agreement between screeners and rewrite any criterion that produces frequent disputes.<\/li>\n<li>Log every change to the criteria, with the date and the reason, and report changes made after the protocol was registered.<\/li>\n<li>Keep the excluded full texts and their reasons; reviewers frequently ask to see them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Evaluate_Sources\"><\/span>How to Evaluate Sources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Evaluation runs alongside screening. A study can be perfectly on topic and still too weak to inform your conclusion, so relevance and quality are separate judgments.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Authority_Currency_Relevance_and_Methods\"><\/span>Authority, Currency, Relevance, and Methods<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Authority: author expertise, institutional affiliation, funding, and declared <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/what-are-conflicts-of-interest-in-research-meaning-types-examples-and-how-to-write-a-declaration-for-journals\/\">conflicts of interest<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Currency: publication date relative to changes in practice, technology, or policy in that field.<\/li>\n<li>Relevance: how closely the population, intervention, and outcomes match your question.<\/li>\n<li>Methods: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/sampling-methods-in-research-probability-vs-non-probability-sampling-techniques-and-examples\/\">sampling technique<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/sample-size-and-statistical-power-definition-formulas-calculations-worked-examples\/\">sample size<\/a>, comparator, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/blinding-in-research-types-examples-and-best-practices\/\">blinding<\/a>, attrition, and whether the analysis matches the design.<\/li>\n<li>Transparency: registration, an available protocol, and accessible data or code.<\/li>\n<li>Consistency: whether the findings align with the wider body of evidence, and what explains the difference if not.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Critical_Appraisal_Tools_by_Study_Design\"><\/span>Critical Appraisal Tools by Study Design<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"167\"><strong>Study design<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"160\"><strong>Tool<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"297\"><strong>Focus<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"167\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/randomized-controlled-trial-rct\/\">Randomized trial<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"160\">Cochrane RoB 2<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Randomization, deviations, missing data, measurement, reporting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"167\">Non-randomized intervention study<\/td>\n<td width=\"160\">ROBINS-I<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Confounding, participant selection, classification of interventions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"167\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/cohort-study\/\">Cohort<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/case-control-study\/\">case-control study<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"160\">Newcastle-Ottawa Scale<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Selection, comparability, outcome or exposure assessment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"167\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/conducting-and-reporting-systematic-reviews\/\">Systematic review<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"160\">AMSTAR 2<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Protocol, search adequacy, risk of bias handling, synthesis<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"167\">Diagnostic accuracy study<\/td>\n<td width=\"160\">QUADAS-2<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Patient selection, index test, reference standard, flow and timing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"167\"><a href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/what-is-qualitative-research-methods-types-examples\/\">Qualitative study<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"160\">CASP Qualitative Checklist<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Design, recruitment, reflexivity, rigor of analysis<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"167\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/mixed-methods-research\/\">Mixed-methods study<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"160\">MMAT<\/td>\n<td width=\"297\">Quality of both strands and the quality of their integration<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Checking_for_Retractions_and_Corrections\"><\/span>Checking for Retractions and Corrections<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Search the Retraction Watch Database before relying on any older study.<\/li>\n<li>In PubMed, look for the Retracted Publication notice on the record, and check for published errata.<\/li>\n<li>Enable retraction alerts in Zotero, or use the Crossmark and Crossref data shown by most publishers.<\/li>\n<li>Recheck your included studies immediately before submission, since retractions appear continuously. <a href=\"https:\/\/paperpal.com\/tools\/reference-checker\">Paperpal\u2019s Reference Checker<\/a> is a good resource for this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Search_Strategies_by_Review_Type\"><\/span>Search Strategies by Review Type<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The review type determines how sensitive your search must be, how many sources you need, and what you have to report. Match the strategy to the method before you run a single line.<\/p>\n<table width=\"624\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><strong>Review type<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"204\"><strong>Search approach<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"153\"><strong>Typical scope<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"153\"><strong>Documentation<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/scoping-review\/\">Scoping<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/what-is-a-mapping-review-definition-guidelines-examples\/\">mapping review<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"204\">Broad and highly sensitive; few limits; iterative as concepts emerge during screening<\/td>\n<td width=\"153\">3 or more databases, plus grey literature and registries<\/td>\n<td width=\"153\">PRISMA-ScR; publish the full strategy for every database<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/rapid-review\/\">Rapid review<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"204\">Deliberately narrowed; date, language, and design limits agreed with the commissioner in advance<\/td>\n<td width=\"153\">1 to 2 major databases, plus 1 guideline or grey literature source<\/td>\n<td width=\"153\">Cochrane RREC guidance; state every shortcut and its likely effect<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/integrative-review\/\">Integrative review<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"204\">Sensitive database searching plus purposive chaining across quantitative, qualitative, and theoretical work<\/td>\n<td width=\"153\">2 to 4 databases spanning the relevant designs<\/td>\n<td width=\"153\">Whittemore and Knafl stages; explain how differing designs were combined<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/realist-review\/\">Realist review<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"204\">Theory-driven and iterative; cluster searching around key papers; stops when the theory is saturated<\/td>\n<td width=\"153\">Purposive rather than exhaustive; databases, grey literature, and expert contact<\/td>\n<td width=\"153\">RAMESES standards; justify each iteration and the point of saturation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sensitivity matters most in scoping reviews; feasibility matters most in rapid reviews.<\/li>\n<li>Iterative searching is a feature of scoping and realist reviews, not a sign of poor planning, but each iteration must be recorded.<\/li>\n<li>Every review type requires the same core reporting: databases, dates, full strategies, and result counts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_You_Document_and_Report_a_Search\"><\/span>How Do You Document and Report a Search?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Record the database, platform, date run, the full strategy line by line, and the number of results, at the moment you run it. A search you cannot rerun cannot be reported.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Should_You_Record_for_Each_Database\"><\/span>What Should You Record for Each Database?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Database name and the platform or interface used, since syntax differs between them.<\/li>\n<li>Date the search was run, and the date range covered.<\/li>\n<li>The complete strategy, copied and pasted, including every line number and filter.<\/li>\n<li>Number of records retrieved, before and after deduplication.<\/li>\n<li>Any limits applied, with the reason for each.<\/li>\n<li>Who designed the search, and who peer reviewed it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"PRISMA-S_and_Flow_Diagram_Basics\"><\/span>PRISMA-S and Flow Diagram Basics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>PRISMA-S is a 16-item extension covering how searches are reported, and it pairs with the PRISMA 2020 statement.<\/li>\n<li>Place full strategies in an appendix or supplementary file, not paraphrased in the methods section.<\/li>\n<li>The flow diagram tracks records from identification through screening to inclusion, with exclusion reasons at full-text stage.<\/li>\n<li>Report database records and other-source records separately, including those found by chaining.<\/li>\n<li>Consider a PRESS peer review of the strategy before you run the final search.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reproducibility_Checklist\"><\/span>Reproducibility Checklist<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Could another researcher rerun your search from the appendix alone?<\/li>\n<li>Is every result count in the flow diagram traceable to a specific search line?<\/li>\n<li>Are all limits and filters stated, with justifications?<\/li>\n<li>Are grey literature sources listed with URLs and dates?<\/li>\n<li>Is the search date close enough to submission to satisfy a reviewer?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Long_Does_a_Literature_Search_Take\"><\/span>How Long Does a Literature Search Take?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A background scan takes 2 to 4 hours. A systematic review search commonly takes 2 to 6 weeks from first concept map to final export, including peer review of the strategy and grey literature searching.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Concept mapping and synonym gathering: 1 to 3 days.<\/li>\n<li>Building and testing strings across databases: 3 to 10 days.<\/li>\n<li>Grey literature and citation chaining: 2 to 5 days.<\/li>\n<li>Deduplication and export: 1 day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Do_I_Do_if_I_Get_Too_Many_Results_in_My_Search\"><\/span>What Do I Do if I Get Too Many Results in My Search?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Add a concept with AND before you start cutting terms. Most oversized result sets come from searching 2 concepts where the question actually has 3.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Revisit your research question or topic. \u201cExercise and mobility\u201d is too broad; you should focus your research question on \u201cdoes low-impact exercise improve mobility in community-dwelling older adults\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>Move free-text terms from [tw] into [tiab], which removes matches that appear randomly in the full text of a paper but aren\u2019t the real focus of that paper.<\/li>\n<li>Replace loose word pairs with phrases in quotation marks, or with a proximity operator.<\/li>\n<li>Restrict subject headings to major topic, but only if you can accept the loss in sensitivity.<\/li>\n<li>Check each concept block separately: 1 runaway OR block is usually responsible.<\/li>\n<li>Tighten over-broad truncation, such as cardi*, which pulls in cardiology, cardiac, and cardinal.<\/li>\n<li>Apply a justified date limit last, and report it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Many_Databases_Should_I_Search_for_a_Systematic_Review\"><\/span>How Many Databases Should I Search for a Systematic Review?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You should search a minimum of 3, and health reviews conventionally use MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL. Add subject databases such as CINAHL or PsycINFO where the topic requires them, plus trial registries and grey literature.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Google_Scholar_Good_Enough_for_Academic_Research\"><\/span>Is Google Scholar Good Enough for Academic Research?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It is good enough for discovery, orientation, and citation chaining. It is not good enough as the sole source for a review, a thesis chapter, a journal article, or any work that must be reproducible, because its coverage is undisclosed and its results are unstable.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_I_Find_Free_Full-Text_Articles_Legally\"><\/span>How Do I Find Free Full-Text Articles Legally?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Check PubMed Central and the free full text link on the PubMed record.<\/li>\n<li>Use Unpaywall or the Open Access Button, which locate legal author copies in repositories.<\/li>\n<li>Search the Directory of Open Access Journals for fully open titles.<\/li>\n<li>Look at &#8220;All versions&#8221; in Google Scholar for a repository copy.<\/li>\n<li>Request a copy from the corresponding author, who is usually permitted to share it.<\/li>\n<li>Use your library&#8217;s interlibrary loan service for anything still paywalled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_I_Know_When_to_Stop_Searching_for_Literature\"><\/span>How Do I Know When to Stop Searching for Literature?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Stop when new sources stop producing new eligible records. This is saturation, and it should be observed rather than assumed.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A new database returns almost nothing you have not already screened.<\/li>\n<li>Citation chaining from included studies surfaces no new eligible papers.<\/li>\n<li>Your known-item test papers are all retrieved by the final strategy.<\/li>\n<li>You have searched every source your protocol committed to.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_Use_AI_Tools_for_a_Literature_Search\"><\/span>Can I Use AI Tools for a Literature Search?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, for generating synonyms, drafting strings, and prioritizing screening, but not as the search itself. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/ai-literature-search-how-to-use-ai-for-searching-evaluating-and-synthesizing-research\/\">AI literature search<\/a> does not provide reproducible coverage, and some fabricate references.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Useful for suggesting terminology and alternative phrasings you had not considered.<\/li>\n<li>Useful for screening prioritization in tools such as Rayyan or Covidence.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-verify-ai-generated-citations-references-steps-checklist-examples\/\">Verify every reference an AI tool produces<\/a> against the database record.<\/li>\n<li>Disclose any AI assistance if the journal or institution requires it.<\/li>\n<li>Use a purpose-built literature search tool like R Discovery to supplement your database search, not replace it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_I_Search_PubMed_for_Systematic_Reviews_Only\"><\/span>How Do I Search PubMed for Systematic Reviews Only?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Apply the Systematic Review article type filter, or add &#8220;systematic review&#8221;[pt] to your search line. Both approaches rely on indexing, so combine them with a search of the Cochrane Library.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The publication type &#8220;systematic review&#8221; was introduced in 2019, so older reviews may not carry it.<\/li>\n<li>The broader subset tag systematic[sb] retrieves more, with lower precision.<\/li>\n<li>Search <a href=\"https:\/\/test.epistemonikos.org\/\">Epistemonikos<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crd.york.ac.uk\/prospero\/\">PROSPERO<\/a> to find reviews in progress and avoid duplicating effort.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A search requires you to think about strategy first. Map your concepts, collect synonyms for each, then join them with Boolean logic. Pair controlled vocabulary such as MeSH with free-text keywords. Using either alone will miss relevant studies. Google Scholar is excellent for scoping and citation chaining, but it cannot produce the reproducible strategy a [&hellip;]","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2315,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ayudawp_aiss_exclude":false,"_ayudawp_aiss_summary":"Field Tags and Search Details. &nbsp; Open \"Search details\" on the results page to see how PubMed translated your query. You need to verify recall: if chaining surfaces eligible papers your search missed, the search needs revision. Use a purpose-built literature search tool like R Discovery to supplement your database search, not replace it.","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_provider":"extractive","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_hash":"f75f8b09b5fb2fd0e2edae39629ff95f0f65da77"},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Do a Literature Search: Examples and Tips for PubMed, Google Scholar, and More - Educational Articles For Researchers, Students And Authors - Editage Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-literature-search-examples-and-tips-for-pubmed-google-scholar-and-more\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Do a Literature Search: Examples and Tips for PubMed, Google Scholar, and More - Educational Articles For Researchers, Students And Authors - Editage Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A search requires you to think about strategy first. 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