Efficient searching for NICE public health guidelines: Would using fewer sources still find the evidence?

Systematic searches are integral to identifying the evidence that is used in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) public health guidelines (PHGs). This study analyses the sources, including bibliographic databases and other techniques, required for PHGs. The aims were to analyse the sources used to identify the publications included in NICE PHGs; and to assess whether fewer sources could have been searched to retrieve these publications. Data showing how the included publications had been identified was collated using search summary tables. Three scenarios were created to test various combinations of sources to determine whether fewer sources could have been used. The sample included 29 evidence reviews, compiled using 13 searches, to support 10 PHG topics. Across the PHGs, 23 databases and six other techniques retrieved included publications. A mean reduction in total results of 6.5% could have been made if the minimum set of sources plus Cochrane Library, Embase, and MEDLINE were searched. On average, Cochrane Library, Embase, and MEDLINE contributed 76.8% of the included publications, with other databases adding 11% and other techniques 12.2%. None of the searches had a minimum set that was comprised entirely of databases. There was not a core set of sources for PHGs. A range of databases and techniques, covering a multi-disciplinary evidence base, was required to identify all included publications. It would be possible to reduce the number of sources searched and make some gains in productivity. It is important to create a tailored set of sources to do an efficient search.

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.