Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: The EPPI-Centre maintains the freely available Database of Reviews of Effectiveness in Health Promotion and Public Health (DoPHER http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/EPPIWeb/home.aspx?Control=Search&SearchDB=rore&page=/hp/). Quarterly update searches include searches of three databases, ASSIA, Sociological Abstracts and Social Service Abstracts, via Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA). Searching effectively for study design is dependent on a number of factors including: the availability of an author's description of study design in the title or abstract; the presence of an abstract; and, the availability of a suitable and consistent controlled vocabulary.
A collaborative group of information professionals from the Health Development Agency, the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and Health Evidence Bulletin Wales (Collaborative Group) has explored options for searching on study design across a wide range of databases relevant to public health. This has been documented in a web based practical tool of indicative search terms for study design which will be annually updated (http://www.hda.nhs.uk/evidence/indexing_home.html).
Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of our usual range of search terms for reviews, with those suggested in the Collaborative Group document. To identify other potentially useful terms which might aid the further development of the Collaborative Group document.
Methods: A prospective comparison study conducted across three databases available via CSA, of the usual search strategy for updating DoPHER with modified searches incorporating terms suggested by the Collaborative Group document.
Screening of records retrieved from these searches captures data on those records excluded on the basis of study design. This will be used to generate data on the sensitivity and specificity of each term.
Results: Data will be presented on the sensitivity and specificity of study design search terms in both the usual EPPI-Centre search strategy and those terms suggested in the Collaborative Group document.
Conclusions: The comparative data will allow the identification of the most effective terms in both the usual EPPI-Centre searches and those suggested by the Collaborative group. It may also allow for the identification of other useful terms for the Collaborative project. The most useful terms will be used in future searches for DoPHER
A collaborative group of information professionals from the Health Development Agency, the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and Health Evidence Bulletin Wales (Collaborative Group) has explored options for searching on study design across a wide range of databases relevant to public health. This has been documented in a web based practical tool of indicative search terms for study design which will be annually updated (http://www.hda.nhs.uk/evidence/indexing_home.html).
Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of our usual range of search terms for reviews, with those suggested in the Collaborative Group document. To identify other potentially useful terms which might aid the further development of the Collaborative Group document.
Methods: A prospective comparison study conducted across three databases available via CSA, of the usual search strategy for updating DoPHER with modified searches incorporating terms suggested by the Collaborative Group document.
Screening of records retrieved from these searches captures data on those records excluded on the basis of study design. This will be used to generate data on the sensitivity and specificity of each term.
Results: Data will be presented on the sensitivity and specificity of study design search terms in both the usual EPPI-Centre search strategy and those terms suggested in the Collaborative Group document.
Conclusions: The comparative data will allow the identification of the most effective terms in both the usual EPPI-Centre searches and those suggested by the Collaborative group. It may also allow for the identification of other useful terms for the Collaborative project. The most useful terms will be used in future searches for DoPHER