Search filters are collections of search terms designed to retrieve selections of records from a bibliographic database. They may target research using a specific study design (e.g. randomised controlled trial) or topic (e.g. kidney disease) or some other feature of the research question (such as the age of participants).
Search filters can reduce the number of records that researchers may need to sift. They are generated through research, tested and validated, meaning that searchers can benefit from other people’s investment of time and expertise. They are particularly useful for broad or challenging topics.
Adapted from (Glanville,J et al. (2022) Search Filters. available at.google.com/york.ac.uk/sureinfo/home/search-filters)
Study design search filters can be found at the following sites. Please remember to accredit the author of the filter when you use it:
Subject search strategies can be found on the website of
Study design search filters can be found at the following sites. Please remember to accredit the author of the filter when you use it:
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)
https://www.cadth.ca/resources/finding-evidence/strings-attached-cadths-database-search-filters
the ISSG Search Filter Resource https://sites.google.com/a/york.ac.uk/issg-search-filters-resource/home
the McMaster Health Information Research Unit website http://hiru.mcmaster.ca/hiru/HIRU_Hedges_home.aspx
Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) https://www.sign.ac.uk/search-filters
Subject search strategies can be found on the website of
the BIREME repository of search strategies http://bvsalud.org/queries/?l=en_US
Flinders Centre of Clinical Change and Health Care Research Collection https://www.flinders.edu.au/research-centre-palliative-care-death-dying/partnerships-and-projects/flinders-filters
BMJ Best Practice. Study design - search filters. https://bestpractice.bmj.com/info/toolkit/learn-ebm/study-design-search-filters/
Some guidance documents for the conduct of health technology assessments recommend specific filters and others leave the choice to the discretion of the searcher.
From: https://sites.google.com/york.ac.uk/sureinfo/home/search-filters