Knowledge Synthesis and Covidence

There are many ways to approach systematic review searching. From the beginning, it is important to:

• Document your entire search process. This will be important when writing your methodology, and ensuring that your search strategy is transparent and replicable. 
• Involve a librarian in your research team, if possible. A librarian can help ensure your search strategy is comprehensive. 

 
Initially, you may try conducting a non-systematic basic search in a database relevant to your research question. This can help:

• Identify existing systematic reviews on the same topic.
• Find keywords and subject headings to consider in your own search strategy.

 
As you start developing your search strategy, check:

• Have you identified all major concepts within your research question?
• Have you considered correct synonyms/acronyms for each concept?
• Have you accounted for different spellings of your concepts? For example, regional spelling differences like "colour" and "color".
• Have you identified appropriate databases to search (at least 3)?
• Have you identified relevant subject terms/controlled vocabulary for your concepts in each database?
  • Are your subject terms exploded/restricted? Do you need to use subheadings?
• Have you translated your search syntax to match each database you search? For example, using [tiab] in PubMed vs. :ti,ab in Embase.
• Have you used Boolean operators (AND/OR/NOT) appropriately?
• Do you need to use database filters? For example, limiting results to those published between 2010-2024 to fit your research question.

Resources

Citation managers, also known as reference or bibliographic managers, can help you stay organized during the research process and keep track of the many references you will have. Citation managers allow you to:

• Gather and organize citations for a variety of resources, including journal articles, reports, books, websites and videos
• Store PDF copies of journal articles and reports
• Generate a bibliography or reference list in a specific citation style
• Insert citations or footnotes while writing
• Share citations and collaborate with colleagues

 
Nova Scotia Health Library Services supports Zotero as a citation manager. Please visit our Citation Management guide. to learn more about using Zotero, as well as how to:

• Cite sources
• Create bibliographies
• Avoid plagiarism and copyright infringement
   

Grey literature refers to literature that is not ‘formally’ published, or that is produced by an organization whose main output is not publishing. For example, Nova Scotia Health policies are considered grey literature, as Nova Scotia Health is a health organization and not an academic or commercial publishing house. Other examples of grey literature include:

• Academic theses and dissertations
• Government reports
• Conference proceedings
• Clinical trial registries
• White papers

 
Including grey literature in your review helps eliminate publication bias. This is because publications are more likely to get published if they show positive results/outcomes rather than negative results/outcomes. Of course, even with that in mind, grey literature is not a replacement for academically published literature.

For a list of potential grey literature databases to search, check our A-Z Databases list on the Library Services website.
 
For more information on how to search grey literature, check out: