What elements of the search process should be recorded?

Your assignment guidelines should outline the details you need to record but at the very least the following elements of your search process should be recorded.

• The name of the resource searched e.g., LibrarySearch and, if necessary, the version/platform/date range of the resource e.g., Ovid MEDLINE 1946 to January Week 4 2022.

• The search words used, and any techniques deployed such as Boolean operators, truncation or phrase searching e.g. “global warming” AND “polar bear*”.

• The limits/refining options applied e.g., limiting the search to items published since 2015. 

• Then umber of studies retrieved from the resource in total, in each subsequent stage and how many were identified as relevant to the chosen topic after applying specific inclusion/exclusion criteria e.g.

“global warming” AND “polar bears” = 52

“global warming” AND “polar bears”, items published since 2015 = 32

“global warming” AND “polar bears”, items published since 2015, relevant to geographic location of Norway = 12 

• Any additional search techniques that were applied e.g., hand searching reference lists of relevant articles, contacting authors directly or citation chaining.