Table 2.

Search Strategies for Publications on Menstrual Phase Methodology

Search Number	Search Term
1	exp Menstrual Cycle/
2	(menses or menstruation or menstrual).mp.
3	1 or 2
4	female cycle.mp.
5	follicular.mp.
6	luteal.mp.
7	ovula*.mp.
8	(pre ovula* or preovula*).mp.
9	(post ovula* or postovula*).mp.
10	4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9
11	3 and 10
12	phase.ti,ab.
13	11 and 12
14	limit 13 to (English language and humans and yr=“2006 -Current”)
15	remove duplicates from 14

Key (information adapted from http://resourcecenter.ovid.com/site/help/documentation/ospa/en/syntax.htm):

• exp <term> This command explodes the term entered onto the command line. In this case, exp Menstrual Cycle retrieves records that contain the term “menstrual cycle” and any of the narrower, more specific terms including the following: fertile period, follicular phase, luteal phase and menstruation.
• <term>.ab Indicates a search for a certain term in the abstract.
• <term>.mp Signifies a “multi-purpose” search in which a search of multiple fields (e.g., title, abstract, subject heading, registry words) will be done.
• <term>.ti This command is a search command that searches for specified term in the title.
• <term>* Indicates a search for a truncated work. For example, ovula* would search for ovulation and ovulate.