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Ovid APA PsycInfo Search Filters

About the SR filter

Search for the family of reviews & Meta-Analyses

The SR search filter was updated using the typologies of reviews listed in Sutton, Clowes, Preston, & Booth (2019), "Meeting the review family: Exploring review types and associated information retrieval requirements". It is not limited to systematic reviews but also includes scoping reviews, overviews of reviews (also called "umbrella reviews", rapid reviews, narrative reviews, as well as other reviews that follow the systematic review methodology as described in:

Sutton A, Clowes M, Preston L, Booth A. Meeting the review family: exploring review types and associated information retrieval requirements. Health Info Libr J. 2019;36(3):202-22. PubMed record

Note: Bibliometric analyses are often included as "systematic reviews" in indexing. However, they are closer to scoping reviews or mapping reviews in that they seek to enumerate or map studies by topic, location, or other variables. The term has not been included in the Sutton et al article, but a search filter for them is below traditional literature reviews..

Systematic and other types of high evidence level reviews

Includes ALL review types that generally follow SR methods (Updated 2 March 2024)

This does not have vocabulary for meta-analysis. See below for the combined filter.

(metasynthesis.md. or "systematic review".md. or "Systematic Review"/ or "systematic reviews as topic".mh. or ("Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" or evidence report technology assessment or evidence report technology assessment summary).jn. or (((((comprehensive or comprehensively) adj (analysis or review or reviewed)) or ((literature or scoping) adj (search or searches))).ti,ab,id. not "narrative review".ti.) and (database or databases or cinahl or cochrane or embase or psycinfo or pubmed or medline or scopus or (web adj1 science) or ((bibliographic or literature) adj (review or reviews)) or (((electronic adj (database or databases)) or (databases adj3 searched)) and (eligibility or excluded or exclusion or included or inclusion))).ti,ab,id.) or (((comparative adj effectiveness) and (effectiveness adj review)) or ((critical adj interpretive) and ((interpretive adj review) or (interpretive adj synthesis)))).ti,ab,id. or ((diagnostic adj test) and ((accuracy adj review) or (accuracy adj reviews) or (accuracy adj studies) or (accuracy adj study)) and (meta-analysis or scoping or systematic)).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj assessment) and GRADE).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj2 gap) and (gap adj map)).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj mapping) or (evidence adj review) or (exploratory adj review) or (framework adj synthesis) or (mapping adj review)).ti,ab,id. or ((meta adj (epidemiological or ethnographic or ethnography or interpretation or narrative or review or study or synthesis or summary or theory)) or metaethnographic or metaethnography or metasynthesis).ti,ab,id. or ((methodological or methodology) adj1 review).ti,ab,id. or ((mixed adj methods) and (methods adj1 (review or synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or ((narrative adj1 synthesis) or (overview adj4 reviews) or ("PRISMA" adj4 (guideline or guidelines or preferred or reporting or requirements)) or (PRISMA adj "P")).ti,ab,id. or (((prognostic or psychometric) adj1 review) or ((qualitative adj (evidence or research)) and ((evidence or research) adj synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or (((rapid adj evidence) and (evidence adj assessment)) or (rapid adj realist) or (rapid adj2 (review or reviews)) or (realist adj2 (review or reviews or syntheses or synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or (((review adj economic) and (economic adj1 (evaluation or evaluations))) or ((scoping or systematic) adj2 (review or reviews or studies or study))).ti,ab,id. or ((review adj1 reviews) or ((systematic adj evidence) and (evidence adj map)) or (systematic adj2 mapping) or (systematic adj2 literature) or (systematic adj2 (Embase or Medline or PsycInfo or PubMed)) or (systematic adj2 (review or reviews)) or ((systematical or systematically) adj2 (review or reviewed reviews)) or (systematically adj identified) or (systematized adj review) or (umbrella adj (review or reviews))).ti,ab,id.)


Just SR protocols without added MA language (Updated 28 March 2024)

protocol.ti. and ((metasynthesis.md. or "systematic review".md. or "Systematic Review"/ or "systematic reviews as topic".mh. or ("Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" or evidence report technology assessment or evidence report technology assessment summary).jn. or (((((comprehensive or comprehensively) adj (analysis or review or reviewed)) or ((literature or scoping) adj (search or searches))).ti,ab,id. not "narrative review".ti.) and (database or databases or cinahl or cochrane or embase or psycinfo or pubmed or medline or scopus or (web adj1 science) or ((bibliographic or literature) adj (review or reviews)) or (((electronic adj (database or databases)) or (databases adj3 searched)) and (eligibility or excluded or exclusion or included or inclusion))).ti,ab,id.) or (((comparative adj effectiveness) and (effectiveness adj review)) or ((critical adj interpretive) and ((interpretive adj review) or (interpretive adj synthesis)))).ti,ab,id. or ((diagnostic adj test) and ((accuracy adj review) or (accuracy adj reviews) or (accuracy adj studies) or (accuracy adj study)) and (meta-analysis or scoping or systematic)).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj assessment) and GRADE).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj2 gap) and (gap adj map)).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj mapping) or (evidence adj review) or (exploratory adj review) or (framework adj synthesis) or (mapping adj review)).ti,ab,id. or ((meta adj (epidemiological or ethnographic or ethnography or interpretation or narrative or review or study or synthesis or summary or theory)) or metaethnographic or metaethnography or metasynthesis).ti,ab,id. or ((methodological or methodology) adj1 review).ti,ab,id. or ((mixed adj methods) and (methods adj1 (review or synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or ((narrative adj1 synthesis) or (overview adj4 reviews) or ("PRISMA" adj4 (guideline or guidelines or preferred or reporting or requirements)) or (PRISMA adj "P")).ti,ab,id. or (((prognostic or psychometric) adj1 review) or ((qualitative adj (evidence or research)) and ((evidence or research) adj synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or (((rapid adj evidence) and (evidence adj assessment)) or (rapid adj realist) or (rapid adj2 (review or reviews)) or (realist adj2 (review or reviews or syntheses or synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or (((review adj economic) and (economic adj1 (evaluation or evaluations))) or ((scoping or systematic) adj2 (review or reviews or studies or study))).ti,ab,id. or ((review adj1 reviews) or ((systematic adj evidence) and (evidence adj map)) or (systematic adj2 mapping) or (systematic adj2 literature) or (systematic adj2 (Embase or Medline or PsycInfo or PubMed)) or (systematic adj2 (review or reviews)) or ((systematical or systematically) adj2 (review or reviewed reviews)) or (systematically adj identified) or (systematized adj review) or (umbrella adj (review or reviews))).ti,ab,id.))


Just Cochrane Reviews (Does not include Cochrane protocols)

Cochrane protocols are found only in the Cochrane Library. (Login required)

"Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews".jn.

Example

 


SR and MA filters combined (Updated 29 March 2024)

Includes both meta-analysis as well as network meta-analysis.

(metasynthesis.md. or "systematic review".md. or "Systematic Review"/ or "systematic reviews as topic".mh. or ("Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" or evidence report technology assessment or evidence report technology assessment summary).jn. or (((((comprehensive or comprehensively) adj (analysis or review or reviewed)) or ((literature or scoping) adj (search or searches))).ti,ab,id. not "narrative review".ti.) and (database or databases or cinahl or cochrane or embase or psycinfo or pubmed or medline or scopus or (web adj1 science) or ((bibliographic or literature) adj (review or reviews)) or (((electronic adj (database or databases)) or (databases adj3 searched)) and (eligibility or excluded or exclusion or included or inclusion))).ti,ab,id.) or (((comparative adj effectiveness) and (effectiveness adj review)) or ((critical adj interpretive) and ((interpretive adj review) or (interpretive adj synthesis)))).ti,ab,id. or ((diagnostic adj test) and ((accuracy adj review) or (accuracy adj reviews) or (accuracy adj studies) or (accuracy adj study)) and (meta-analysis or scoping or systematic)).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj assessment) and GRADE).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj2 gap) and (gap adj map)).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj mapping) or (evidence adj review) or (exploratory adj review) or (framework adj synthesis) or (mapping adj review)).ti,ab,id. or ((meta adj (epidemiological or ethnographic or ethnography or interpretation or narrative or review or study or synthesis or summary or theory)) or metaethnographic or metaethnography or metasynthesis).ti,ab,id. or ((methodological or methodology) adj1 review).ti,ab,id. or ((mixed adj methods) and (methods adj1 (review or synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or ((narrative adj1 synthesis) or (overview adj4 reviews) or ("PRISMA" adj4 (guideline or guidelines or preferred or reporting or requirements)) or (PRISMA adj "P")).ti,ab,id. or (((prognostic or psychometric) adj1 review) or ((qualitative adj (evidence or research)) and ((evidence or research) adj synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or (((rapid adj evidence) and (evidence adj assessment)) or (rapid adj realist) or (rapid adj2 (review or reviews)) or (realist adj2 (review or reviews or syntheses or synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or (((review adj economic) and (economic adj1 (evaluation or evaluations))) or ((scoping or systematic) adj2 (review or reviews or studies or study))).ti,ab,id. or ((review adj1 reviews) or ((systematic adj evidence) and (evidence adj map)) or (systematic adj2 mapping) or (systematic adj2 literature) or (systematic adj2 (Embase or Medline or PsycInfo or PubMed)) or (systematic adj2 (review or reviews)) or ((systematical or systematically) adj2 (review or reviewed reviews)) or (systematically adj identified) or (systematized adj review) or (umbrella adj (review or reviews))).ti,ab,id. or "Meta-Analysis".md. or "meta-analysis"/ or "meta-analysis as topic".mh. or "Network Meta-Analysis".mh. or (meta adj2 (analyse or analyser or analyses or analysis or analytic or analytical or analytics or analyze or analyzed or analyzes)).ti,ab,id. or (metaanalyse or Metaanalysen or metaanalyser or metaanalyses or metaanalysis* or metaanalytic or metaanalytical or metaanalytics or metaanalyze or metaanalyzed or metaanalyzes).ti,ab,id. or (network adj1 (meta or metaanalyses or metaanalysis or metaregression)).ti,ab,id. or (systematic and ((meta adj regression) or metagression)).ti,ab,id.)

Example


Just protocols (Updated 29 March 2024)

protocol.ti. and (metasynthesis.md. or "systematic review".md. or "Systematic Review"/ or "systematic reviews as topic".mh. or ("Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" or evidence report technology assessment or evidence report technology assessment summary).jn. or (((((comprehensive or comprehensively) adj (analysis or review or reviewed)) or ((literature or scoping) adj (search or searches))).ti,ab,id. not "narrative review".ti.) and (database or databases or cinahl or cochrane or embase or psycinfo or pubmed or medline or scopus or (web adj1 science) or ((bibliographic or literature) adj (review or reviews)) or (((electronic adj (database or databases)) or (databases adj3 searched)) and (eligibility or excluded or exclusion or included or inclusion))).ti,ab,id.) or (((comparative adj effectiveness) and (effectiveness adj review)) or ((critical adj interpretive) and ((interpretive adj review) or (interpretive adj synthesis)))).ti,ab,id. or ((diagnostic adj test) and ((accuracy adj review) or (accuracy adj reviews) or (accuracy adj studies) or (accuracy adj study)) and (meta-analysis or scoping or systematic)).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj assessment) and GRADE).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj2 gap) and (gap adj map)).ti,ab,id. or ((evidence adj mapping) or (evidence adj review) or (exploratory adj review) or (framework adj synthesis) or (mapping adj review)).ti,ab,id. or ((meta adj (epidemiological or ethnographic or ethnography or interpretation or narrative or review or study or synthesis or summary or theory)) or metaethnographic or metaethnography or metasynthesis).ti,ab,id. or ((methodological or methodology) adj1 review).ti,ab,id. or ((mixed adj methods) and (methods adj1 (review or synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or ((narrative adj1 synthesis) or (overview adj4 reviews) or ("PRISMA" adj4 (guideline or guidelines or preferred or reporting or requirements)) or (PRISMA adj "P")).ti,ab,id. or (((prognostic or psychometric) adj1 review) or ((qualitative adj (evidence or research)) and ((evidence or research) adj synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or (((rapid adj evidence) and (evidence adj assessment)) or (rapid adj realist) or (rapid adj2 (review or reviews)) or (realist adj2 (review or reviews or syntheses or synthesis))).ti,ab,id. or (((review adj economic) and (economic adj1 (evaluation or evaluations))) or ((scoping or systematic) adj2 (review or reviews or studies or study))).ti,ab,id. or ((review adj1 reviews) or ((systematic adj evidence) and (evidence adj map)) or (systematic adj2 mapping) or (systematic adj2 literature) or (systematic adj2 (Embase or Medline or PsycInfo or PubMed)) or (systematic adj2 (review or reviews)) or ((systematical or systematically) adj2 (review or reviewed reviews)) or (systematically adj identified) or (systematized adj review) or (umbrella adj (review or reviews))).ti,ab,id. or "Meta-Analysis".md. or "meta-analysis"/ or "meta-analysis as topic".mh. or "Network Meta-Analysis".mh. or (meta adj2 (analyse or analyser or analyses or analysis or analytic or analytical or analytics or analyze or analyzed or analyzes)).ti,ab,id. or (metaanalyse or Metaanalysen or metaanalyser or metaanalyses or metaanalysis* or metaanalytic or metaanalytical or metaanalytics or metaanalyze or metaanalyzed or metaanalyzes).ti,ab,id. or (network adj1 (meta or metaanalyses or metaanalysis or metaregression)).ti,ab,id. or (systematic and ((meta adj regression) or metagression)).ti,ab,id.)

Meta-analyses

Meta-analysis with SR vocabulary (Updated 29 March 2024)

("Meta-Analysis".md. or "meta-analysis"/ or "meta-analysis as topic".mh. or "Network Meta-Analysis".mh. or (meta adj2 (analyse or analyser or analyses or analysis or analytic or analytical or analytics or analyze or analyzed or analyzes)).ti,ab,id. or (metaanalyse or Metaanalysen or metaanalyser or metaanalyses or metaanalysis* or metaanalytic or metaanalytical or metaanalytics or metaanalyze or metaanalyzed or metaanalyzes).ti,ab,id. or (network adj1 (meta or metaanalyses or metaanalysis or metaregression)).ti,ab,id. or (systematic and ((meta adj regression) or metagression)).ti,ab,id.) not ((without adj (meta-analysis or metaanalysis)) not ("with" adj3 (meta-analysis or metaanalysis))).ti.

Example


Network meta-analysis (NMA) (Updated 13 March 2024)

The article below was used to form the basis of limiting the earliest studies to 1997. Studies found using the terms from the filter and were published prior to 2002 (when Lumley introduced the term "network meta-analysis") were examined for relevance. While Higgins and Whitehead published a paper in 1996 describing the potential for incorporating data from other related studies, published studies using a "network meta-analytic" methodology did not appear until 1997. I highly recommend reading the article if you are studying network meta-analysis; it is extremely informative. Unfortunately, it is not possible to add a publication date range search phrase to the filter; it has to be done separately.

  • Ades AE, Welton NJ, Dias S, Phillippo DM, Caldwell DM. Twenty years of network meta-analysis: Continuing controversies and recent developments. Res Synth Methods. 2024 Jan 18. doi: 10.1002/jrsm.1700. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38234221.

Network meta-analysis search string

"Network Meta-Analysis".mh. or (network adj2 (comparison or meta or metaanalyses or metaanalysis)).ti,ab,id. or ((indirect adj2 comparison) or (((mixed or multiple) adj2 (treatment or treatments)) and (((Bayes or Bayesian or frequentist or (meta or regression)) adj (analyses or analysis)) or metaanalyses or metaanalysis))).ti,ab,id.

Traditional literature (non-systematic) reviews

Traditional or narrative literature reviews (Updated 29 March 2024)

The following search string finds non-systematic types of reviews. It retrieves a very large number of items-- well over 3.2 million! Be prepared to narrow.

(review.pt. or (((integrated or integrative or narrative) adj (review or reviews)) or overview or ((state adj3 art) and (art adj (review or reviews)))).ti,ab,id.) not (systematic or scoping).ti.

Examples

  • View the review search without topics (Requires Pitt login)
    • See line 1 for results
      • You may need to Expand the Search History box by clicking the link on the right just under the Search History and just above Share Search History
  • Social determinants of health reviews
    • See line 3 for results
      • You may need to Expand the Search History box by clicking the link on the right just under the Search History and just above Share Search History
    • ​​​​​​​Note: SDOH encompasses multiple areas. If you are interesting in a specific determinant such as education, be sure to incorporate specific terms related to that particular determinant.
      • Reviews with education/educational in English
      • See line 7 for results

Bibliometrics

Bibliometric analysis

  • Naveen D, Satish K, Debmalya M, Nitesh P, Weng M. How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines.  J of Business Research. 2021; 133:285-96. doi: j.jbusres.2021.04.070 (Pitt login required)
  • Montazeri A, Mohammadi S, M Hesari P, Ghaemi M, Riazi H, Sheikhi-Mobarakeh Z. Preliminary guideline for reporting bibliometric reviews of the biomedical literature (BIBLIO): a minimum requirements. Syst Rev. 2023 Dec 15;12(1):239. doi: 10.1186/s13643-023-02410-2. PMID: 38102710; PMCID: PMC10722750.

bibliometrics/ or (bibliometric adj2 (analyses OR analysis OR review OR reviews OR studies OR study)).ti,ab,id.