Search strategies for systematic reviews in reproductive medicine: a narrative review and practical guide

Abstract

Objectives: This review article outlines the key aspects of electronic search strategies used for systematic reviews, with a particular focus on developing a search strategy for systematic reviews in reproductive medicine. Additionally, we aimed to gather information on studies assessing the quality of literature searches and address conceptualization, search terms, database selection, peer review, translation, documentation, and report of searches. This review and practical guide has been written to assist not only those with experience and knowledge in health research but also beginner teams seeking the skills to conduct systematic reviews in the field. It uses the MEDLINE database, with both PubMed and Ovid interfaces, as examples to illustrate the process of developing a search strategy.

Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted, and a practical guide for developing search strategies was developed.

Results: There is a significant lack of information on the quality and effectiveness of search strategies used in systematic reviews within the field of reproductive medicine, as well as on the workflow for developing these strategies. For specialized topics, searching at least three to five databases is recommended to achieve high recall. It is also advisable to follow the PRESS guidelines and to report the databases searched, the date of access, and terms used.

Discussion: This review may serve as a foundation for future research to address these gaps. We provided a concise and practical overview of the key elements of search strategy development as a kick-off. The appendices, which include practical examples, a compilation of existing sources, guidelines, and a glossary of terms, can be useful for health professionals and researchers in creating a more advanced and reproducible literature search when planning a systematic review project.

Keywords: ART; Evidence synthesis; Recall and precision; Reproductive medicine; Search strategy; Systematic reviews.