Abstract

Purpose: To describe strategies for a comprehensive literature search. Organizing Construct: MEDLINE searches result in limited numbers of studies that are often biased toward statistically significant findings. Diversified search strategies are needed. Methods: Empirical evidence about the recall and precision of diverse search strategies is presented. Challenges and strengths of each search strategy are identified. Findings: Search strategies vary in recall and precision. Often sensitivity and specificity are inversely related. Valuable search strategies include examination of multiple diverse computerized databases, ancestry searches, citation index searches, examination of research registries, journal hand searching, contact with the “invisible college,” examination of abstracts, Internet searches, and contact with sources of synthesized information. Conclusions: Extending searches beyond MEDLINE enables researchers to conduct more systematic comprehensive searches.

Keywords

MEDLINERecallInformation retrievalComputer scienceOnline searchData scienceMedicinePsychologyCognitive psychologyBiology

Affiliated Institutions

Related Publications

Publication Info

Year
2003
Type
review
Volume
35
Issue
2
Pages
177-182
Citations
195
Access
Closed

External Links

View on DOI.org

Social Impact

Altmetric
PlumX Metrics

Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions

Citation Metrics

195
OpenAlex

Cite This

Vicki S. Conn, Sang‐arun Isaramalai, Sabyasachi Rath et al. (2003). Beyond MEDLINE for Literature Searches. Journal of Nursing Scholarship , 35 (2) , 177-182. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2003.00177.x

Identifiers

DOI
10.1111/j.1547-5069.2003.00177.x