Searching for trials

1
Searching for trials

• Hojjat Salmasian

2
Two basic questions

• Where to search
• How to search

3
Electronic searching

• Bibliographic databases
• Citation tracking

4
Bibliographic databases

• MedLine
• EMBase
• IranMedex
• IranDoc

5
MedLine via OVID
6
MedLine searching

• MeSH
• Boolean searching (AND OR NOT)
• Limits

7
MeSH

• Medical Subject Headings

8
MeSH

• Subhedings

9
MedLine limits
10
PubMed limits

• Hidden Slide

11
EMbase (Excerpta Medica dataBASE)

• Differences with MedLine
• Scope
• Overlap with MedLine
• EMTree

12
EMBase via OVID
13
IranMedex (Iran Medical index)

• Scope
• Limitations of search

14
IranMedex
15
IranDoc
16
Citation tracking

• ISI (Institute for Scientific Information)

17
ISI
18
Grey literature

• Definition
• Types
• Dissertations
• Theses
• Government reports
• Ongoing studies
• etc.

19

• NLM Gateway
• dissertationsandtheses.com
• Index of Theses
• SIGLE (System for Information on Grey Literature
  in Europe)
• Dialog by Thomson

20
NLM Gateway
21
dissertationsandtheses.com
22
Registers of ongoing studies

• Current Controlled Trials
• Trials Central
• Clinicaltrials.gov

23
ClinicalTrials.gov
24
Searching algorithm
Question
Sensitive
Specify your search goal
Bibliographic
Specific
Selecting Database
Value added
Constructing the search strategy
25
Constructing the search strategy
Selecting the most important and relevant words
Broad searching
Investigating the results
Few results
26
Constructing the search strategy
Selecting the most important and relevant words
Broad searching
Investigating the results
Few results
Browse
Apply
Change the words
Decrease limits
Finding synonyms
27
Constructing the search strategy
Selecting the most important and relevant words
Broad searching
Investigating the results
Few results
Large amount of results
28
Large amount of results
Boolean searching
Limit fields
Search filters
Investigating the results
Few results
Large amount of results
29
Any questions?