The planned method used to find relevant studies for a review.
A search strategy is the pre-specified combination of databases, keywords, subject headings, and filters (e.g., date range, language, study design) used to identify studies for a systematic review or evidence appraisal. A well-reported strategy is reproducible and typically documented in enough detail (search terms, dates searched, databases used) that another researcher could rerun it and expect similar results. Poorly specified or narrow search strategies increase the risk of missing relevant evidence, which can bias the review's conclusions.
This guide was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.