Searching Best Practices for Evidence Synthesis Reviews

You will need to carefully translate your search for each database that you search in. Using one search for every database will not produce the most accurate and exhaustive results and, depending on the use of database syntax, won’t work. It is best to create an initial search in one database and then, once you are confident with it, translate it to work in the other databases you plan to search. There are two main elements you will need to pay attention to while translating:

• Subject headings
  • Because each database uses different controlled vocabularies (See Utilize controlled vocabularies and keywords section) you will need to look up the controlled vocabulary terms you use in each database to make sure you have the right term for that database. For example, you would need to look up each Mesh term you use in PubMed in Emtree when translating the search for use in Embase. Also, make sure you check whether or not term explosion is default or not in each database. (See Understand how each database searches section)
• Database syntax
  • Each database uses different syntax. For example, to indicate a Mesh Term field code in PubMed you would write it like this: “myocardial infarction” [Mesh] to search for the same thing in CINAHL you would write it like this: MH “myocardial infarction”

You can use a tool like Polyglot Search Translator to help you translate but it will only translate the database syntax NOT the controlled vocabularies.

Note that when searching in Grey Literature sources like Google Scholar, preprint servers, clinical trial databases, government websites, etc. you will need to greatly simplify your search and remove most (if not all) field codes.