Literature Search is the starting point for adding studies to your nest. In order to proceed to Screening records, you will need to add studies by Executing Searches, Importing RIS Files, or adding Other Sources.
Literature Search #
In Literature Search you can:
- Execute Automatic Searches on several databases (PubMed, EuropePMC, ClinicalTrials.gov, and DOAJ) directly via API and set an Update Schedule.
- Import RIS Files containing study metadata from searches on other databases (e.g. Embase).
All records loaded into the nest are de-duplicated, meaning duplicates are automatically removed, and all available metadata is added alongside each record. You can view number of duplicate records removed in the top right corner “Duplicate Review (n)” or access via “Duplicate Review” in the left-hand menu. In addition, we add a Ref ID to each record. This is a number assigned to each record based on the order in which it was uploaded. Learn more about Ref IDs.
Assistance in Building a Search #
If you have already crafted your search strategy, you can add it directly to Literature Search (see above). However, if you would like assistance in building a Boolean query, where you can start from a set of terms of interest and iteratively build out your topics of interest, we also offer Search Exploration, where you can add terms of interest and expand on your initial ideas based on AI recommendations of additional terms and review of candidate studies.
For other search guidance, see lesson 3 in our online course, which outlines optimal early exploration techniques, as well as teaching about the basics of Boolean operators. We generally recommend search strategies that limit unnecessary screening; there is an upper limit on all Searches and Imports of 10,000 records, and while the total number of records in a nest does not have a strict limit, we advise that searches above 10,000 records may be narrowed with the addition of appropriate filters or hedges.
Adding Other Sources #
In addition to API-based searches and RIS Import, we offer two methods for adding studies directly to a nest:
- Adding Studies Individually based on DOI, PMID, or manual entry of metadata, and
- Bibliomining the references from the PDFs of existing reviews or studies.
Editing and Reviewing References #
We automatically import metadata and run a de-duplication algorithm to ensure we save only one version of each study. In order to check both the metadata and deduplication, you can use:
- Duplicate Review: Examine and edit the outputs of our de-duplication algorithm. Accessible via left-hand menu or in the top right corner “Duplicate Review (n)” of Literature Search.
- Edit References: Edit the metadata of studies.
Note: unless added via Other Sources, individual records from a Literature Search cannot be deleted unless the entire search is deleted.
Naming Searches #
By default individual searches are differentiated by search queries, but if you wish to name your search to easily reference it later on, or in exports, you can. To do so, select “More” in the listed search and input under “Name.”
