Use pull down menu to limit searches to specific fields (title, abstract, keywords, and authors). Default is set to title, abstract and keywords to ensure most relevant articles are found. If search retrieves too few articles, try changing limit to "All text".
When a term is entered, the search automatically finds its word variants (listed below) eliminating the need to enter common variants.
Automatic stemming can be disabled if search terms include truncation(*).
When entering two or more terms without quotes, search will "AND" all terms. Finds articles where all terms must appear in the article (or selected fields).
Example: lung cancer (finds articles containing lung and cancer anywhere in the article)
To search for a phrase, put terms in quotes. Phrase search does NOT support the use of wildcards.
Example: "diabetes mellitus" (finds the phrase diabetes mellitus in the article or selected fields)
Example: "Food and Drug Administration" (finds phrases that contain a Boolean operator (AND, OR, NOT))
Example: hearing NEXT aid* (If using wildcards, use NEXT operator).
To view results, hit the "Run Search" button or hit "Enter". Results will display at the bottom of the page. In the tabs above results, the number of articles will display by source.
Use the "Search Limits" button to limit by content type (i.e. to Cochrane Reviews, Protocols, Trials or other Cochrane content), Cochrane Library or CENTRAL publication dates, or Cochrane Group. There are two dates to choose from:
You can also select to turn word variations on/off from the "Search Limits" menu.
Click "Apply limits" to run your search using these new limits.
To apply a limit to all articles in The Cochrane Library, place * in the search box and select your limits.
Use the [+] and [-] buttons to add or delete search lines. Up to 5 lines can be added on the Search Tab. To develop longer and more complex search strategies it is recommended that you use the Search Manager Tab.
For users want to build complex searches in Search Manager, after entering your terms and applying all desired limits, use the "Add to Search Manager" button to add your Search to the Search Manager.
Individual Searches can be saved by entering term(s), running the search and using the "Save Search" button. To save searches, a user must be registered with the Cochrane Library and be logged in to their account.
To run a saved strategy, you must be registered and logged into your account. From the Advanced Search page, select "View saved searches," then use the "Load" button to run a saved strategy.
For Saved Searches, users can set an alert so they will receive an email every time new articles indexed with their search terms are published in the Cochrane Library. To set alerts, a user must be registered with the Cochrane Library and be logged in to their account. To set an alert, select the View saved searches button, then click the e-mail alert checkbox next to the search for which you wish to set the alert. A check in the box means the alert is on. Remove the check to turn off alerting.
Boolean operators can be selected from the pull-down menus or directly keyed Supports use of AND, OR, NOT to combine search terms.
Both terms MUST appear in the article or selected field(s).
Example: insulin AND diabetes
At least one of the terms MUST appear in the article or selected field(s).
Example: heart OR cardiac
The first word must appear but the second word cannot appear in the article or selected field(s).
Example: aids not hearing
Supports use of NEAR, NEAR/X and NEXT. Finds terms within close proximity to each other in the article or field(s) being searched
Finds the terms when they are within 6 words of each other. Terms can appear in either order.
Example: cancer near lung (finds lung cancer as well as cancer of the lung)
Finds the terms when they are within X words of each other where X = the maximum number of words between search terms. Terms can appear in either order.
Example: cancer near/3 lung (finds lung cancer, as well as, cancer of the lung)
Finds the terms when they appear next to each other. Terms must appear in the order specified. Use for phrase searching with wildcards.
Example: lung next cancer (finds lung cancer but not cancer of the lung)
Example: hearing NEXT aid* (finds hearing aid and hearing aids)
If a search contains more than one Boolean operator and it does not use nesting, the system will perform the operations in the following order:
For better precision, use nesting to specify order of operations.
Use parentheses () to explicitly group searches using Boolean or proximity operators and to change the default precedence order.
Example: (kidney OR renal) AND dialysis
Use to find terms containing a common word root. Use * to search for one or more characters, and ? for zero or one characters. A wildcard can be added to the right (end of term), left (beginning of term) and internal (within) a term, however the word root must be at least 3 characters.
transplant* Use an asterisk (*) to match all terms beginning with a word root.
Finds transplant, transplants, transplanting, transplantation, and transplantable.
*glycemia Use an asterisk (*) at the beginning of a word to match terms with the same suffix.
Finds hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.
leuk*mia Use an asterisk to match multiple characters within a word.
Finds both leukemia and leukaemia.
wom?n Use a question mark (?) to match zero or one characters within a word.
Finds women or woman.
system? Use a question mark to match all terms beginning with the word root + zero or one additional characters.
System? Will match system or systems but not systematic or systemic.
Limit to specific fields using the pull-down menu.
Limit to specific fields using the following field labels.
If NO field label is used, “All text” will be searched. All text search DOES NOT include references.
To search using multiple labels, separate field labels using commas (:ti,ab,kw).
Example: (cancer near lung):ti,ab,kw
Use this label to limit search to terms in the article title.
Example: “lung cancer”:ti
Use this label to limit to the Abstract field.
Example: cancer:ab
Use this label to limit to Keywords. Limit includes MeSH terms but does not allow for MeSH term explosion.
Example: (hearing next aid*):kw
Use label to limit a search to the author field.
Example: smith:au
Use this label to limit to Publication Type. Used only in CENTRAL.
Example: journal:pt
Use this label to limit to the Title of journal, conference name, report name, etc.
Example: cardiology:so
Use this label to limit a search using a DOI. Must search using the entire number.
Example: 10.1002/14651858.CD003137.pub4
Use this label to limit a search on text or id numbers found in the Accession Number field in some CENTRAL articles. It will allow users to search based on the source database, Pubmed or Embase, or accession number ID.
Examples:
(Pubmed):an (Limit to search results to a specific database)
2006328324:an (Search a specific ID number)
(Embase):an NOT (Pubmed):an (Combine with Boolean logic to isolate articles only found in one of the databases)
Use this label to limit a search to a particular Cochrane Topic area. The topic must appear in quotation marks with the exact name from the Browse by Topic list on the Cochrane Library homepage.
Examples:
"Blood disorders":tp
"Developmental, psychosocial & learning problems":tp
Note: to limit by Cochrane Topic area, we recommend using the Search tab and the field drop-down which provides an auto-complete list of all Cochrane Topics. Results may then be viewed, or the query sent to the Search Manager.
Use this label to limit a search to a particular Cochrane Review Group (CRG). The CRG must appear in quotation marks with the exact name from the Browse by Cochrane Review Group list accessible from the Cochrane Library homepage.
Examples:
"Airways":crg
"Gynaecological, Neuro-oncology and Orphan Cancer":crg
Note: to limit by CRG, we recommend using the Search tab and the field drop-down which provides an auto-complete list of all CRGs. Results may then be viewed, or the query sent to the Search Manager.
This tab provides information on the most commonly used features for the tab being used. For complete information on New Search including demonstrations, information on error messages, and FAQ's, click here
Use the Search Manager to create and save complex multi-line searches. Supports the use of logical operators, field labels, nesting, and wildcards.
Enter the term and select the "Search word variations" tick box under the search limits to find the variants of the word, eliminating the need to enter common variants.
When using Search Manager Tab, automatic stemming will be disabled if search terms include truncation (*).
When entering two or more terms without quotes, search will “AND” all terms. Finds articles where all terms must appear in the article (or selected fields).
Example: lung cancer (finds articles containing lung and cancer anywhere in the article)
To search for a phrase, put terms in quotes. Phrase search does NOT support the use of wildcards.
Example: “diabetes mellitus” (finds the phrase diabetes mellitus in the article or selected fields)
Example: “Food and Drug Administration” (finds phrases that contain a Boolean operator (AND, OR, NOT))
Example: hearing NEXT aid* (If using wildcards, use NEXT operator)
Combine results from multiple search lines into a single result set can be done using Boolean logic (AND, OR, NOT) and nesting. Precedence rules
apply if nesting is not used.
Example 1: #1 or #2 or #3
Example 2: (#1 or #2) and #3
When combining searches, users can enter line numbers separately, #1 and #2 and #3 and #4 or search a range of lines, {AND #1-#4}. Range searching can be used with “AND” or “OR” operators and must be enclosed in {}. As with individual line numbers, inserting or deleting a line will automatically update the line in which search ranges are combined.
Examples
{AND #1-#4} searches #1 and #2 and #3 and #4
{OR #1-#4} searches #1 or #2 or #3 or #4
{AND #1,#7,#9} searches #1 and #7 and #9
{AND #1-#4,#9}searches #1 and #2 and #3 and #4 and #9
{OR #1-#4,#9,#11-#13} searches #1 or #2 or #3 or #4 or #9 or #11 or #12 or #13
Use the Search Limits button to limit by content type (i.e. to Cochrane Reviews, Protocols, Trials or other Cochrane content), Cochrane Library or CENTRAL publication dates, or Cochrane Group. There are two dates to choose from:
You can also select to turn word variations on/off from the Search Limits menu.
Click "Apply limits" to run your search using these new limits.
To apply a limit to all articles in The Cochrane Library, place * in the search box and select your limits.
Use the "MeSH" button to add a MeSH term to the Search manager.
Use the "MeSH" button to edit a MeSH term added to the Search Manager. Selecting this button will display the term in the MeSH browser where you can edit your term or select a new term. Once you have made changes, select to Add/Edit search line to update the Search Manager.
For users familiar with MeSH headings, it is possible to enter one or more MeSH searches directly in the Search Manager using the search box and the following syntax.
NOTE: MeSH searches must be placed in square brackets, [ ], to be recognized
To search a MeSH heading, with term explosion, use the mh label. By default, the term will be exploded
Example: [mh vaccines]
To search a MeSH heading, without term explosion, use the mh label and insert a caret, ^, in front of the term
Example: [mh ^vaccines]
To search a MeSH heading that is a phrase, use the mh label and put the phrase in quotes. By default, the term will be exploded
Example: [mh "viral vaccines"]
To search a MeSH heading that is a phrase, without term explosion, use the mh label, put the phrase in quotes and place a caret, ^, in front of the term
Example: [mh ^"viral vaccines"]
To limit a search by one or more qualifiers, use a slash, /, followed by the two-letter abbreviation for the qualifier. If searching for more than one qualifier, separate them with a comma.
Example: [mh vaccines/AE] Searches, Vaccines, exploded and limited to qualifier Adverse Effects (AE)
Example: [mh ^"viral vaccines"/AD,AE] Searches Viral Vaccines, NOT exploded and limited to qualifiers Administration and Dosage (AD) or Adverse Effects (AE)
NOTE: Qualifiers must be entered in capitals, e.g. AE not ae
To search for any records indexed using a specific qualifier, use the mh label and the desired qualifier(s)
Example: [mh /AE] Searches any articles with qualifier, Adverse Effects (AE)
Example: [mh /AD,AE] Searches any article with qualifier, Administration and Dosage or Adverse Effects
To limit a search by MeSH headings with a major focus, use [mj] limit
Example: [mh vaccines [mj]] Searches Vaccines limited to major concepts
Example: [mh ^"viral vaccines"[mj]/AD,AE] Searches Viral Vaccines limited to major concepts, NOT exploded, and limited to qualifiers Administration and Dosage (AD) or Adverse Effects (AE)
Search multiple MeSH terms in one search line using “AND”, “OR” or “NOT”.
Example: [mh vaccines] and [mh "hepatitis b"] Searches MeSH term Vaccines and hepatitis b
Use the and buttons to add or delete search lines. All combined search lines are automatically updated to reflect the additions or deletions.
Orphan Lines are search lines that have not been used in your final search results. By selecting the “Highlight Orphan Lines” tick box, these Orphan lines will be identified.
To view results, click on the result count for that search line.
After you have created or run your strategy, use the "Print" button at the top of your strategy to view a print-friendly version of your strategy with counts.
To save a strategy, you must be registered and logged into your account. To save a strategy, select "Save this search" and then either the option to "Save" or "Save as." The option to "Save" will overwrite any changes to a previously saved search that is now displayed. Use "Save as" to save a new version of your changes with a new name. Enter a name for the search then select Save/Save as. After you have saved your strategy, the name of the strategy will appear at the top of the page.
To run a saved strategy, you must be registered and logged into your account. From Search Manager, select "View saved searches," then use the "Load" button to run a saved strategy.
Select to View saved searches and select the Append button to add your saved search strategy to an existing strategy in Search Manager. The appended search will be correctly renumbered but you will need to create a final combined search to merge counts from the two searches. The append feature allows you to create reusable search modules.
From the Strategy Library in Search Manager, use the "Share" link to send a link to another user to let them run and view results of your shared strategy on The Cochrane Library. Select “Send this link via email” to open an email message with this link embedded or “Copy this link” to copy the link and paste it into a document or webpage.
Use the "Export" link in the Strategy Library to generate a text version of your saved strategy without counts.
For saved search strategies, users can set an alert and receive an email every time new articles retrieved by their search strategy are published in The Cochrane Library. To set alerts, a user must be a registered user of The Cochrane Library and be logged in to their account. To set an alert, select the View saved searches button, then click the e-mail alert checkbox next to the search for which you wish to set the alert. A check in the box means the alert is on. Remove the check to turn off alerting.