CHECKLIST FOR DEVELOPING A SEARCH STRATEGY
- Define text words/keywords
- Determine synonyms for concepts & keywords
- Think about different spellings & variations in endings
- Consider brand names (for example, specific drug or device)
- Decide limits on language (for example, English only)
- Determine other limits (for example, age groups, publication types)
- Decide how far back you want to look
- Perform test searches
- Identify “controlled vocabulary” (subject headings/descriptors)
- Combine logically all search terms
- Perform more test searches
- Customize your search strategy to specific databases
Adapted from "How to Develop a Search Strategy for Cochrane" (2007)
