Searching for and identifying the right studies

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Our team performs systematic searches and review of articles to help identify the best evidence.

 

Searches

 

• Perform searches in Medline and other relevant databases

• Use MESH terms (“medical education subject headings” i.e. topic headings) to identify relevant articles,

• For efficiency, limit searches by study design (e.g. RCTs or meta-analyses) and additional key words, if needed

• Handsearch reference lists of included articles for additional studies

 

Dual review articles for inclusion/exclusion

• Two independent reviews of titles, abstracts, and full text articles to determine whether or not they match the ideal study question and features

• Document reasons for exclusion, if any

 

 

 

 

 

Choosing the right studies

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We choose studies according to their potential to provide strong evidence.