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A NOVEL SEARCH BUILDER TO EXPEDITE SEARCH STRATEGIES FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS

Part of: Special Collection - Methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2015

Biren B. Kamdar ,
Pooja A. Shah ,
Sruthi Sakamuri ,
Bharat S. Kamdar  and
Jiwon Oh
Biren B. Kamdar
Affiliation:
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLAbkamdar@mednet.ucla.edu
Pooja A. Shah
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Sruthi Sakamuri
Affiliation:
University of Vermont College of Medicine
Bharat S. Kamdar
Affiliation:
Independent Technology Consultant
Jiwon Oh
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University
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Abstract

Objectives: Developing a search strategy for use in a systematic review is a time-consuming process requiring construction of detailed search strings using complicated syntax, followed by iterative fine-tuning and trial-and-error testing of these strings in online biomedical search engines.

Methods: Building upon limitations of existing online-only search builders, a user-friendly computer-based tool was created to expedite search strategy development as part of production of a systematic review.

Results: Search Builder 1.0 is a Microsoft Excel®-based tool that automatically assembles search strategy text strings for PubMed (www.pubmed.com) and Embase (www.embase.com), based on a list of user-defined search terms and preferences. With the click of a button, Search Builder 1.0 automatically populates the syntax needed for functional search strings, and copies the string to the clipboard for pasting into Pubmed or Embase. The offline file-based interface of Search Builder 1.0 also allows for searches to be easily shared and saved for future reference.

Conclusions: This novel, user-friendly tool can save considerable time and streamline a cumbersome step in the systematic review process.

Keywords

Systematic reviewSoftware toolMicrosoft ExcelSearch builder
Type
Methods
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 31 , Issue 1-2 , 2015 , pp. 51 - 53
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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References

REFERENCES

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Supplementary material: File

Kamdar supplementary material

Search Builder 1.0 2013 with User Guide FOR PC

Download Kamdar supplementary material(File)
File 156.8 KB
Supplementary material: File

Kamdar supplementary material

Search Builder 1.0 2013 with User Guide FOR MACINTOSH

Download Kamdar supplementary material(File)
File 145.1 KB