Tutorial: Searching for Systematic Reviews
Finding Existing Systematic Reviews
The following databases are all helpful places to search for existing systematic & scoping reviews.
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews This link opens in a new window A collection of systematic reviews on the impact of health-related interventions & treatments. Updated regularly.
- TRIP A freely available search engine for clinicians that searches for some PubMed citations as well as freely available guidelines and EBP synopes, the goal being to enable you to “find evidence fast.” Aside from a basic keyword search, there is the ability to search using the PICO format
- PedRO A freely available evidence based PT database that includes clinical trials, clinical practice guidelines, and systematic reviews. Indexed trials include quality ratings.
- The Campbell Collaboration Systematic reviews on effects of social interventions on psychosocial issues.
- PubMed This link opens in a new window The clinical queries feature in PubMed allows you to limit your search to systematic reviews.
- Embase This link opens in a new window Embase.com is the database equivalent of EXCERPTA MEDICA. It is a comprehensive, international database covering Anesthesiology, Human Genetics, Gerontology, Drug Research, Pharmacology, Drug Side Effects and Interactions, Toxicology, Human Medicine (Clinical and Experimental), including Pediatrics and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Basic Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Biomedicine, Health Policy and Management, Pharmacoeconomics, Public and Occupational Health, Environmental Health, Pollution Control, Substance Dependence and Abuse, Psychiatry, Forensic Science, Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Nursing.
- APA PsycINFO This link opens in a new window PsycInfo provides access to journal articles, books and book chapters, and dissertations that cover the scholarly literature in the psychological, social, behavioral, and health sciences. It includes material of relevance to psychologists and professionals in related fields such as psychiatry, management, business, education, social science, neuroscience, law, medicine, and social work. Date coverage: 1894-
- CINAHL: Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature This link opens in a new window Covers journal publications from the nursing and allied health professions. While it primarily covers journal citations, it also includes book chapter abstracts, dissertations, and conference abstracts. Date coverage: 1981 - present.
Registries
- Prospero"PROSPERO is an international database of prospectively registered systematic reviews in health and social care, welfare, public health, education, crime, justice, and international development, where there is a health related outcome. Key features from the review protocol are recorded and maintained as a permanent record. PROSPERO aims to provide a comprehensive listing of systematic reviews registered at inception to help avoid duplication and reduce opportunity for reporting bias by enabling comparison of the completed review with what was planned in the protocol." (Prospero, 2019)
- The Open Science FrameworkThe OSF is a helpful source of registeted scoping reviews.
