Systematic Reviews: Journal databases

When searching for a systematic review it is important that you search across a range of databases, as no one database covers all the literature. The decision regarding which databases to search depends largely upon the topic of the review.

The databases listed below are usually the key databases to search for any systematic review.

Searching the OVID (AMED, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Maternity & Infant Care) and CINAHL databases is a little different than many other databases.

Follow these tips:

• Search for one term at a time
• Map terms to subject headings
• Read the Scope Notes
• Look at the Subject Headings Tree
• When in doubt, Explode but do not Focus
• Use Keywords when necessary
• Combine terms with Boolean Operators
• Limit/filter results as required.

The following sites include examples of pre-tested search filters. These are useful for checking for additional terms for your search strategies.