What value is the CINAHL database when searching for systematic reviews of qualitative studies?

Diverse Intimate Partner Violence Survivors' Experiences Seeking Help from the Police: A Qualitative Research Synthesis

Intimate partner violence (IPV), inclusive of all forms of abuse, is an ongoing public health and criminal-legal issue that transcends social boundaries. However, there is a lack of equitable representation of diverse populations who experience IPV in the literature. To garner a holistic knowledge of diverse IPV survivor populations' experiences with seeking help from the police, the current review utilized a qualitative research synthesis methodology to explore police interactions among six IPV survivor populations that are underrepresented in the current literature: women with substance use issues, immigrant women, women in rural localities, heterosexual men, racially/ethnically minoritized women, and sexual minority women. Seven electronic databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed articles on IPV survivors' narrative descriptions (qualitative or mixed-methods) of their encounters with law enforcement. The final analysis included 28 studies that were then coded with an iterative coding strategy. The analysis uncovered the following themes: (a) revictimization by the police, (b) police negligence, (c) discrimination, (d) cultural differences, and (e) positive experiences. These themes demonstrated that while some experiences with law enforcement were shared between under-researched survivor groups, some experiences were explicitly tied to some aspects of survivors' identities. Recognizing the potential law enforcement has to support survivors, the findings of the current review reiterate the need for ongoing efforts to improve law enforcement knowledge and overall response to IPV, especially for diverse populations of IPV survivors.

A systematic review of users experiences of using digital interventions within psychosis: a thematic synthesis of qualitative research

PURPOSE

Although the development of digital mental health support for people with psychosis has been increasing, the development and opportunities to access this have been more limited compared to other mental health conditions. Qualitative research exploring the experiences of using digital interventions amongst people with psychosis is even less well developed; however, such research is crucial in capturing the experiences of using digital interventions to ensure they are meeting the needs of people with psychosis. This paper aimed to synthesise qualitative data related to the experiences of people with psychosis who have used digital interventions.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted of articles published between 1992 and October 2023 using PubMed, MBase, PsycINFO, & OVID Medline. Two reviewers independently reviewed and screened 268 papers. Papers that met inclusion criteria were quality assessed using The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) qualitative studies checklist. The Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) checklist was used to guide the structure of the report.

RESULTS

A thematic synthesis of 19 studies revealed six overarching themes which related to different aspects and features of the digital interventions: participants' relationship with technology; the accessibility of the interventions; how the interventions could impact on individuals' awareness and management of mental health; enhanced communication and relationships; and opportunities for reflection.

CONCLUSIONS

Benefits of using digital interventions are discussed. Areas for development and improvements are highlighted. Finally, recommendations for stakeholders who develop and implement digital interventions for psychosis are made.

Nurses' experiences of providing palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions

BACKGROUND

Paediatric palliative care (PPC) has evolved in response to the increased prevalence of children who have been diagnosed with life-limiting conditions. Nursing care is a fundamental aspect of PPC and understanding nurses' experiences is imperative to the provision and development of quality holistic child-centred services.

AIM

To review nurses' experiences of providing palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions.

METHOD

A systematic database search of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Complete, Ovid Medline and Scopus was undertaken. Key words consisted of 'palliative care' or 'terminal care' or 'dying' or 'end-of-life care' and children* or paediatric* or pediatric* and 'nurs* experience*' or 'nurs* view*' or 'nurs* perspective*' or 'nurs* feeling*'. Inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed studies published between 2016-2023 in the English language.

FINDINGS

A thematic approach was adopted with the 11 papers selected for the review and each study critically analysed to identify three recurring themes. The themes included: 'a broken wreck', 'makes a life worth living' and 'challenges in doing 100%'. Findings point to mixed feelings among nurses in providing PPC and suggest that nurses experience emotional distress when caring for dying children. With appropriate supports and inspiration from their paediatric patients, nurses are determined to provide a 'good death' for the children in their care. Nevertheless, the perceived lack of knowledge and experience, communication struggles and personal dilemmas can be predisposing factors in triggering negative experiences among nurses when providing palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Education and policy development is required to meet the practice needs and support the emotional needs of nurses engaged in PPC. Further research is required to generate PPC evidence-based nursing interventions. In doing so, high quality PPC practice will be promoted, thereby ensuring high quality PPC for the children and their families.

Database coverage and their use in systematic reviews regarding spinal manipulative therapy: an exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Systematic reviews (SRs) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered one of the most reliable study types. Through a systematic and thorough literature search, researchers aim to collect all research relevant to their purpose. The selection of databases can be challenging and depend on the topic of interest. The Cochrane Handbook suggests searching at least the following three databases: Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. However, this is not always sufficient for reviews on the musculoskeletal field in general. This study aimed to examine the frequency and choice of databases used by researchers in SRs of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT). Secondly, to analyze the RCTs included in the SRs to determine the optimal combination of databases needed to conduct efficient literature searches for SRs of SMT.

METHODS

SRs investigating the effect of SMT on any patient-reported outcome measure were identified through searches in PubMed and Epistemonikos (all entries till date of search February 25, 2022). For each SR, databases searched and included RCTs were collected. RCTs were searched individually in nine databases (Cochrane Library, MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Web of Science, Index to Chiropractic Literature, PEDro, and AMED). Coverage rates were calculated using the number of retrieved RCTs by the database or combinations of databases divided by the total number of RCTs.

RESULTS

Eighty-five SRs published met the inclusion criteria, and 442 unique RCTs were retrieved. The most frequently searched database was MEDLINE/PubMed. Cochrane Library had the highest overall coverage rate and contained the third most unique RCTs. While a 100% retrieval was not possible, as 18 RCTs could not be retrieved in any of the nine databases, the combination of Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and PEDro retrieved all possible RCTs with a combined coverage rate of 95.9%.

CONCLUSIONS

For SRs on SMT, we recommend using the combination suggested by the Cochrane Handbook of Cochrane Library, MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, and in addition, PEDro and Index to Chiropractic Literature. Google Scholar might be used additionally as a tool for searching gray literature and quality assurance.

The use of subject headings varied in Embase and MEDLINE: An analysis of indexing across six subject areas

Many bibliographic databases describe the content of a publication using a thesaurus. The vocabularies vary and the extent to which the databases apply them may also differ significantly. The aim of this study is to empirically explore the number of subject headings assigned to publications in two databases over time and to determine if publication characteristics are associated with the number of subject headings. Articles and reviews in MEDLINE and Embase from 1990 to 2019 assigned with one of the subject headings from six subject areas are included in this study. Each of the retrieved publications in Embase is matched with a similar publication in MEDLINE. Furthermore, multivariable linear regressions are used to explore the association of the number of subject headings in MEDLINE and Embase with six prespecified publication characteristics. The average number of assigned subject headings in MEDLINE is stable or even slightly decreasing over time. In Embase, the average number of assigned subject headings was stable until about 2000 where the average number increased dramatically during the next 3 years. Furthermore, linear regressions show that the average number of subject headings in MEDLINE and Embase is higher for publications in English, publications with longer abstract, recent publications and if it belongs to specific subject areas. However, reviews are assigned with more subject headings in Embase and fewer in MEDLINE. The implications of the results are discussed.

Literature searching methods or guidance and their application to public health topics: A narrative review

Background

Information specialists conducting searches for systematic reviews need to consider key questions around which and how many sources to search. This is particularly important for public health topics where evidence may be found in diverse sources.

Objectives

The objective of this review is to give an overview of recent studies on information retrieval guidance and methods that could be applied to public health evidence and used to guide future searches.

Methods

A literature search was performed in core databases and supplemented by browsing health information journals and citation searching. Results were sifted and reviewed.

Results

Seventy‐two papers were found and grouped into themes covering sources and search techniques. Public health topics were poorly covered in this literature.

Discussion

Many researchers follow the recommendations to search multiple databases. The review topic influences decisions about sources. Additional sources covering grey literature eliminate bias but are time‐consuming and difficult to search systematically. Public health searching is complex, often requiring searches in multidisciplinary sources and using additional methods.

Conclusions

Search planning is advisable to enable decisions about which and how many sources to search. This could improve with more work on modelling search scenarios, particularly in public health topics, to examine where publications were found and guide future research.

The Perspectives of Patients with Chronic Diseases and Their Caregivers on Self-Management Interventions: A Scoping Review of Reviews

BACKGROUND

Self-management (SM) interventions are supportive interventions systematically provided by healthcare professionals, peers, or laypersons to increase the skills and confidence of patients in their ability to manage chronic diseases. We had two objectives: (1) to summarise the preferences and experiences of patients and their caregivers (informal caregivers and healthcare professionals) with SM in four chronic diseases and (2) to identify and describe the relevant outcomes for SM interventions from these perspectives.

METHODS

We conducted a mixed-methods scoping review of reviews. We searched three databases until December 2020 for quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods reviews exploring patients' and caregivers' preferences or experiences with SM in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and heart failure (HF). Quantitative data were narratively synthesised, and qualitative data followed a three-step descriptive thematic synthesis. Identified themes were categorised into outcomes or modifiable factors of SM interventions.

RESULTS

We included 148 reviews covering T2DM (n = 53 [35.8%]), obesity (n = 20 [13.5%]), COPD (n = 32 [21.6%]), HF (n = 38 [25.7%]), and those with more than one disease (n = 5 [3.4%]). We identified 12 main themes. Eight described the process of SM (disease progression, SM behaviours, social support, interaction with healthcare professionals, access to healthcare, costs for patients, culturally defined roles and perceptions, and health knowledge), and four described their experiences with SM interventions (the perceived benefit of the intervention, individualised care, sense of community with peers, and usability of equipment). Most themes and subthemes were categorised as outcomes of SM interventions.

CONCLUSION

The process of SM shaped the perspectives of patients and their caregivers on SM interventions. Their perspectives were influenced by the perceived benefit of the intervention, the sense of community with peers, the intervention's usability, and the level of individualised care. Our findings can inform the selection of patient-important outcomes, decision-making processes, including the formulation of recommendations, and the design and implementation of SM interventions.

Performance of conceptual framework elements for the retrieval of qualitative health literature: a case study

Objective

A growing volume of studies address methods for performing systematic reviews of qualitative studies. One such methodological aspect is the conceptual framework used to structure the review question and plan the search strategy for locating relevant studies. The purpose of this case study was to evaluate the retrieval potential of each element of conceptual frameworks in qualitative systematic reviews in the health sciences.

Methods

The presence of elements from conceptual frameworks in publication titles, abstracts, and controlled vocabulary in CINAHL and PubMed was analyzed using a set of qualitative reviews and their included studies as a gold standard. Using a sample of 101 publications, we determined whether particular publications could be retrieved if a specific element from the conceptual framework was used in the search strategy.

Results

We found that the relative recall of conceptual framework elements varied considerably, with higher recall for patient/population (99%) and research type (97%) and lower recall for intervention/phenomenon of interest (74%), outcome (79%), and context (61%).

Conclusion

The use of patient/population and research type elements had high relative recall for qualitative studies. However, other elements should be used with great care due to lower relative recall.

Overlaps of multiple database retrieval and citation tracking in dementia care research: a methodological study

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine overlaps and optimal combination of multiple database retrieval and citation tracking for evidence synthesis, based on a previously conducted scoping review on facilitators and barriers to implementing nurse-led interventions in dementia care.

METHODS

In our 2019 scoping review, we performed a comprehensive literature search in eight databases (CENTRAL, CINAHL, Embase, Emcare, MEDLINE, Ovid Nursing Database, PsycINFO, and Web of Science Core Collection) and used citation tracking. We retrospectively analyzed the coverage and overlap of 10,527 retrieved studies published between 2015 and 2019. To analyze database overlap, we used cross tables and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA).

RESULTS

Of the retrieved studies, 6,944 were duplicates and 3,583 were unique references. Using our search strategies, considerable overlaps can be found in some databases, such as between MEDLINE and Web of Science Core Collection or between CINAHL, Emcare, and PsycINFO. Searching MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science Core Collection and using citation tracking were necessary to retrieve all included studies of our scoping review.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results can contribute to enhancing future search practice related to database selection in dementia care research. However, due to limited generalizability, researchers and librarians should carefully choose databases based on the research question. More research on optimal database retrieval in dementia care research is required for the development of methodological standards.

A comprehensive literature search to identify existing measures assessing "concentration" as a core outcome domain for sound-based interventions for chronic subjective tinnitus in adults

The Core Outcome Measures in Tinnitus (COMiT) initiative has recommended a minimum standard of five outcomes when designing a clinical trial to assess the efficacy of sound-based interventions. These are: ability to ignore, concentration, quality of sleep, sense of control and tinnitus intrusiveness. The next stage is to consider what measurement instruments might be appropriate for assessing these constructs. The current study aimed to systematically gather existing instruments used to assess concentration. A total of 6240 potentially relevant records were identified. Duplicates and non-published works were removed, leaving a total of 3599 records. A procedure was developed to sample a subset of records, in order to identify relevant instruments without exhaustively reading all 3599 texts. Initially 559 records were identified by screening 1000 articles; 500 of which were randomly selected, and 500 were the most recent publications identified from the PubMed database. Using predefined criteria for data saturation, information about measures of concentration was extracted from the 559 full texts. However, data saturation was reached by 240. Thirteen candidate instruments were identified. The next step will be to assess content validity and feasibility of administration for all these candidate instruments. Findings will inform future recommendations for how to measure concentration in clinical trials to ensure results of trials can be easily compared, contrasted, and synthesized.

Use of a search summary table to improve systematic review search methods, results, and efficiency

BACKGROUND

Systematic reviews are comprehensive, robust, inclusive, transparent, and reproducible when bringing together the evidence to answer a research question. Various guidelines provide recommendations on the expertise required to conduct a systematic review, where and how to search for literature, and what should be reported in the published review. However, the finer details of the search results are not typically reported to allow the search methods or search efficiency to be evaluated.

CASE PRESENTATION

This case study presents a search summary table, containing the details of which databases were searched, which supplementary search methods were used, and where the included articles were found. It was developed and published alongside a recent systematic review. This simple format can be used in future systematic reviews to improve search results reporting.

CONCLUSIONS

Publishing a search summary table in all systematic reviews would add to the growing evidence base about information retrieval, which would help in determining which databases to search for which type of review (in terms of either topic or scope), what supplementary search methods are most effective, what type of literature is being included, and where it is found. It would also provide evidence for future searching and search methods research.

Interventions to improve the mental health of children and young people with long-term physical conditions: linked evidence syntheses

BACKGROUND

Although mental health difficulties can severely complicate the lives of children and young people (CYP) with long-term physical conditions (LTCs), there is a lack of evidence about the effectiveness of interventions to treat them.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions aiming to improve the mental health of CYP with LTCs (review 1) and explore the factors that may enhance or limit their delivery (review 2).

DATA SOURCES

For review 1, 13 electronic databases were searched, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Science Citation Index. For review 2, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched. Supplementary searches, author contact and grey literature searches were also conducted.

REVIEW METHODS

The first systematic review sought randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and economic evaluations of interventions to improve elevated symptoms of mental ill health in CYP with LTCs. Effect sizes for each outcome were calculated post intervention (Cohen's d). When appropriate, random-effects meta-analyses produced pooled effect sizes (d). Review 2 located primary qualitative studies exploring experiences of CYP with LTCs, their families and/or practitioners, regarding interventions aiming to improve the mental health and well-being of CYP with LTCs. Synthesis followed the principles of metaethnography. An overarching synthesis integrated the findings from review 1 and review 2 using a deductive approach. End-user involvement, including topic experts and CYP with LTCs and their parents, was a feature throughout the project.

RESULTS

Review 1 synthesised 25 RCTs evaluating 11 types of intervention, sampling 12 different LTCs. Tentative evidence from seven studies suggests that cognitive-behavioural therapy interventions could improve the mental health of CYP with certain LTCs. Intervention-LTC dyads were diverse, with few opportunities to meta-analyse. No economic evaluations were located. Review 2 synthesised 57 studies evaluating 21 types of intervention. Most studies were of individuals with cancer, a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or mixed LTCs. Interventions often aimed to improve broader mental health and well-being, rather than symptoms of mental health disorder. The metaethnography identified five main constructs, described in an explanatory line of argument model of the experience of interventions. Nine overarching synthesis categories emerged from the integrated evidence, raising implications for future research.

LIMITATIONS

Review 1 conclusions were limited by the lack of evidence about intervention effectiveness. No relevant economic evaluations were located. There were no UK studies included in review 1, limiting the applicability of findings. The mental health status of participants in review 2 was usually unknown, limiting comparability with review 1. The different evidence identified by the two systematic reviews challenged the overarching synthesis.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a relatively small amount of comparable evidence for the effectiveness of interventions for the mental health of CYP with LTCs. Qualitative evidence provided insight into the experiences that intervention deliverers and recipients valued. Future research should evaluate potentially effective intervention components in high-quality RCTs integrating process evaluations. End-user involvement enriched the project.

STUDY REGISTRATION

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42011001716.

FUNDING

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula.

Searching for qualitative health research required several databases and alternative search strategies: a study of coverage in bibliographic databases

OBJECTIVE

Retrieving the qualitative literature can be challenging, but the number and specific choice of databases are key factors. The aim of the present study is to provide guidance for the choice of databases for retrieving qualitative health research.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Seventy-one qualitative systematic reviews, from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and JBI database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, including 927 qualitative studies, were used to analyze the coverage of the qualitative literature in nine bibliographic databases.

RESULTS

The results show that 94.4% of the qualitative studies are indexed in at least one database, with a lower coverage for publication types other than journal articles. Maximum recall with two databases is 89.1%, with three databases recall increases to 92% and maximum recall with four databases is 93.1%. The remaining 6.9% of the publications consists of 1.3% scattered across five databases and 5.6% that are not indexed in any of the nine databases used in this study.

CONCLUSION

Retrieval in one or a few-although well selected-databases does not provide all the relevant qualitative studies. The remaining studies needs to be located using several other databases and alternative search strategies.

Defining the process to literature searching in systematic reviews: a literature review of guidance and supporting studies

BACKGROUND

Systematic literature searching is recognised as a critical component of the systematic review process. It involves a systematic search for studies and aims for a transparent report of study identification, leaving readers clear about what was done to identify studies, and how the findings of the review are situated in the relevant evidence. Information specialists and review teams appear to work from a shared and tacit model of the literature search process. How this tacit model has developed and evolved is unclear, and it has not been explicitly examined before. The purpose of this review is to determine if a shared model of the literature searching process can be detected across systematic review guidance documents and, if so, how this process is reported in the guidance and supported by published studies.

METHOD

A literature review. Two types of literature were reviewed: guidance and published studies. Nine guidance documents were identified, including: The Cochrane and Campbell Handbooks. Published studies were identified through 'pearl growing', citation chasing, a search of PubMed using the systematic review methods filter, and the authors' topic knowledge. The relevant sections within each guidance document were then read and re-read, with the aim of determining key methodological stages. Methodological stages were identified and defined. This data was reviewed to identify agreements and areas of unique guidance between guidance documents. Consensus across multiple guidance documents was used to inform selection of 'key stages' in the process of literature searching.

RESULTS

Eight key stages were determined relating specifically to literature searching in systematic reviews. They were: who should literature search, aims and purpose of literature searching, preparation, the search strategy, searching databases, supplementary searching, managing references and reporting the search process.

CONCLUSIONS

Eight key stages to the process of literature searching in systematic reviews were identified. These key stages are consistently reported in the nine guidance documents, suggesting consensus on the key stages of literature searching, and therefore the process of literature searching as a whole, in systematic reviews. Further research to determine the suitability of using the same process of literature searching for all types of systematic review is indicated.

Optimal database combinations for literature searches in systematic reviews: a prospective exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Within systematic reviews, when searching for relevant references, it is advisable to use multiple databases. However, searching databases is laborious and time-consuming, as syntax of search strategies are database specific. We aimed to determine the optimal combination of databases needed to conduct efficient searches in systematic reviews and whether the current practice in published reviews is appropriate. While previous studies determined the coverage of databases, we analyzed the actual retrieval from the original searches for systematic reviews.

METHODS

Since May 2013, the first author prospectively recorded results from systematic review searches that he performed at his institution. PubMed was used to identify systematic reviews published using our search strategy results. For each published systematic review, we extracted the references of the included studies. Using the prospectively recorded results and the studies included in the publications, we calculated recall, precision, and number needed to read for single databases and databases in combination. We assessed the frequency at which databases and combinations would achieve varying levels of recall (i.e., 95%). For a sample of 200 recently published systematic reviews, we calculated how many had used enough databases to ensure 95% recall.

RESULTS

A total of 58 published systematic reviews were included, totaling 1746 relevant references identified by our database searches, while 84 included references had been retrieved by other search methods. Sixteen percent of the included references (291 articles) were only found in a single database; Embase produced the most unique references (n = 132). The combination of Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar performed best, achieving an overall recall of 98.3 and 100% recall in 72% of systematic reviews. We estimate that 60% of published systematic reviews do not retrieve 95% of all available relevant references as many fail to search important databases. Other specialized databases, such as CINAHL or PsycINFO, add unique references to some reviews where the topic of the review is related to the focus of the database.

CONCLUSIONS

Optimal searches in systematic reviews should search at least Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar as a minimum requirement to guarantee adequate and efficient coverage.

Experiences of noninvasive ventilation in adults with hypercapnic respiratory failure: a review of evidence

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has been shown to be beneficial for patients with respiratory failure; however, many patients fail to tolerate it and require other interventions. The objective of this thematic synthesis was to describe the nature of NIV experiences in adults with hypercapnic respiratory failure. A systematic, computerised literature search of English-language databases was undertaken with no restriction on date of publication. A total of 99 papers was identified and screened for eligibility from databases including CINAHL, Medline and PsycINFO, and some were hand searched. 45 papers were critically appraised and 32 met our inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis identified six key themes: benefits of NIV; fear (of various categories, namely, fear of technology/mask, fear of death and dying, and fear of pain and suffering); adaptation to NIV machine; decision making; need for information; and relationship with healthcare professionals. For people using NIV treatment, the experience of being on the NIV machine is unexpected and can be stressful. Findings from this review offer healthcare professionals insights and understanding into the patient experience of NIV. Healthcare professionals may use these findings to implement new strategies in NIV provision and the exploration of the applicability of age-specific supportive care NIV guidelines.

Searching for qualitative research for inclusion in systematic reviews: a structured methodological review

BACKGROUND

Qualitative systematic reviews or qualitative evidence syntheses (QES) are increasingly recognised as a way to enhance the value of systematic reviews (SRs) of clinical trials. They can explain the mechanisms by which interventions, evaluated within trials, might achieve their effect. They can investigate differences in effects between different population groups. They can identify which outcomes are most important to patients, carers, health professionals and other stakeholders. QES can explore the impact of acceptance, feasibility, meaningfulness and implementation-related factors within a real world setting and thus contribute to the design and further refinement of future interventions. To produce valid, reliable and meaningful QES requires systematic identification of relevant qualitative evidence. Although the methodologies of QES, including methods for information retrieval, are well-documented, little empirical evidence exists to inform their conduct and reporting.

METHODS

This structured methodological overview examines papers on searching for qualitative research identified from the Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group Methodology Register and from citation searches of 15 key papers.

RESULTS

A single reviewer reviewed 1299 references. Papers reporting methodological guidance, use of innovative methodologies or empirical studies of retrieval methods were categorised under eight topical headings: overviews and methodological guidance, sampling, sources, structured questions, search procedures, search strategies and filters, supplementary strategies and standards.

CONCLUSIONS

This structured overview presents a contemporaneous view of information retrieval for qualitative research and identifies a future research agenda. This review concludes that poor empirical evidence underpins current information practice in information retrieval of qualitative research. A trend towards improved transparency of search methods and further evaluation of key search procedures offers the prospect of rapid development of search methods.