Objective 6: Required Search Strategy Template
You must use the template below for your group’s search strategy figure:
Search Strategies:
1 MeSH search for indexed PubMed (MEDLINE) records Phase II-IV and randomized controlled trials**.
2 (optional). Keyword search for indexed PubMed (MEDLINE) records for Phase II-IV and randomized controlled trials** that cannot be identified by the MeSH search.
3 Keyword search for unindexed PubMed records for randomized controlled trials**.
4. Keywords search for unindexed and indexed PubMed records for meta-analyses, observational and economic studies, and guidelines:
5 (optional) EMBASE search for records for Phase II-IV and randomized controlled trials**, guidelines and meta-analyses***:
6 (optional): ClinicalTrials.gov search
The following drug names were omitted from the keyword search strategies 2- 4 because they were used frequently to indicate discussion of irrelevant concepts and were causing retrieval of irrelevant results:
Key:
** If you are studying a rare disease and find few if any randomized controlled trials, search for any clinical trial instead of randomized controlled trials only and change the template headings accordingly.
***If you choose to perform an EMBASE search you may, if you wish, include guidelines and meta-analyses in the search. Alter the heading, if necessary, to correspond to the search you perform.