Beyond MEDLINE for literature searches

Area of Science:

• Information Science
• Bibliometrics
• Research Methodology

Background:

• MEDLINE searches often yield limited results biased towards statistically significant findings.
• The need for diversified search strategies is critical for comprehensive literature reviews.
• Understanding the limitations of single-database searches is essential for academic research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline effective strategies for conducting comprehensive literature searches.
• To identify methods that improve the completeness and accuracy of literature reviews.
• To guide researchers in optimizing their search methodologies.

Main Methods:

• Review of empirical evidence on the recall and precision of various search strategies.
• Identification of challenges and strengths associated with different search techniques.
• Analysis of diverse search approaches including database, citation, and manual methods.

Main Results:

• Search strategies exhibit variable recall and precision, often with an inverse relationship between sensitivity and specificity.
• Effective strategies include using multiple databases, ancestry searches, citation indexes, research registries, and hand searching.
• Internet searches, abstract reviews, and consulting information sources are also valuable components.

Conclusions:

• Expanding search efforts beyond MEDLINE is crucial for achieving systematic and comprehensive literature reviews.
• Implementing a combination of diverse search strategies significantly enhances research completeness.
• Researchers can improve the quality of evidence synthesis by adopting broader search methodologies.