Article type
Year
Abstract
Background:
To date, Cochrane has focused primarily on publishing systematic reviews of the effectiveness of healthcare interventions and subsequently reviews of diagnostic test accuracy. Strategies to identify studies in these areas are well-described in the Cochrane Handbook. Cochrane is considering extending its remit to evidence syntheses in other areas, such as economic evaluations, prognosis and qualitative research. Study identification has not yet received as much attention in these areas within Cochrane. Additionally, under MECIR (Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews), if a Cochrane Review has specific eligibility criteria around study design to address adverse effects, economic issues or qualitative research questions, it is now mandatory that searches must be undertaken to address these issues. These areas, together with others, are covered in a new web resource, SuRe Info, produced by the Interest Sub-Group on Information Resources (IRG) of Health Technology Assessment international (HTAi).
Objective:
To present the SuRe Info resource.
Methods:
Information retrieval methods publications are identified by database searching. Publications meeting the SuRe Info inclusion criteria receive a structured abstract containing a brief critical appraisal prepared by one SuRe Info information specialist and checked by another. Key messages from the appraisals are summarised into topic-specific chapters.
Results:
SuRe Info is published as a section of the HTAi Vortal (www.sure-info.org). It has two parts: 1) chapters on general search methods common across all evidence syntheses, and 2) chapters describing the methods to use when searching for specific aspects of evidence syntheses, such as adverse effects/safety and economic evaluations. Chapters summarise current research evidence with links to the structured abstracts/appraisals.
Conclusion:
SuRe Info is a new open-access web resource that provides research-based summaries relating to information retrieval for evidence synthesis, including systematic reviews. It provides a valuable addition to the information provided in The Cochrane Handbooks.
To date, Cochrane has focused primarily on publishing systematic reviews of the effectiveness of healthcare interventions and subsequently reviews of diagnostic test accuracy. Strategies to identify studies in these areas are well-described in the Cochrane Handbook. Cochrane is considering extending its remit to evidence syntheses in other areas, such as economic evaluations, prognosis and qualitative research. Study identification has not yet received as much attention in these areas within Cochrane. Additionally, under MECIR (Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews), if a Cochrane Review has specific eligibility criteria around study design to address adverse effects, economic issues or qualitative research questions, it is now mandatory that searches must be undertaken to address these issues. These areas, together with others, are covered in a new web resource, SuRe Info, produced by the Interest Sub-Group on Information Resources (IRG) of Health Technology Assessment international (HTAi).
Objective:
To present the SuRe Info resource.
Methods:
Information retrieval methods publications are identified by database searching. Publications meeting the SuRe Info inclusion criteria receive a structured abstract containing a brief critical appraisal prepared by one SuRe Info information specialist and checked by another. Key messages from the appraisals are summarised into topic-specific chapters.
Results:
SuRe Info is published as a section of the HTAi Vortal (www.sure-info.org). It has two parts: 1) chapters on general search methods common across all evidence syntheses, and 2) chapters describing the methods to use when searching for specific aspects of evidence syntheses, such as adverse effects/safety and economic evaluations. Chapters summarise current research evidence with links to the structured abstracts/appraisals.
Conclusion:
SuRe Info is a new open-access web resource that provides research-based summaries relating to information retrieval for evidence synthesis, including systematic reviews. It provides a valuable addition to the information provided in The Cochrane Handbooks.