Table 3. The search strategy executed in Question 1.
| Database used | Cochrane Library1 | PubMed1 | TRIP Database | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategies used | Indexed search terms | Free text words | Combination of free text words and indexed terms | Indexed search terms | Free text words | Combination of free text words and indexed terms | Free text words2 | Free text words |
| Participant/ Patient3 | • MeSH descriptor: [Child] explode all trees, • MeSH descriptor: [Infant] explode all tree |
• Child, • Children • Infant • infants |
• MeSH descriptor:[Child] explode all trees • MeSH descriptor: [Infant] explode all tree • Child • Children • Infant • infants |
• “Children” • [MeSH} |
• child, • children, • infant* |
• “Children” [MeSH] • Child • Children • infant* |
• Child* • infant* |
• children • infant |
| Intervention4 | • MeSH descriptor: [Acetaminophen] explode all trees | • Acetaminophen • Panadol • Tylenol • paracetamol |
• MeSH descriptor: [Acetaminophen] explode all trees • Acetaminophen • Panadol • Tylenol • paracetamol |
• "Acetaminophen [MeSH] | • Acetaminophen • Panadol • Tylenol • paracetamol |
• "Acetaminophen[MeSH] • Acetaminophen • Panadol • Tylenol • paracetamol |
• paracetamol • panadol, • acetaminophen |
• paracetamol • acetaminophen |
| Comparison5 | • MeSH descriptor:[Ibuprofen] explode all trees | • Ibuprofen • Advil • Motrin • brufen |
• MeSH descriptor: [Ibuprofen] explode all tree • Ibuprofen • Advil • Motrin • brufen |
• “Ibuprofen” [MeSH] | • ibuprofen • advil • motrin • brufen |
• “Ibuprofen” [MeSH] • Ibuprofen • Advil • Motrin • brufen |
• ibuprofen • advil • motrin • brufen |
• ibuprofen |
| Number of Systematic Reviews Retrieved | 1 | 93 | 5 | 23 | 51 | 56 | 5 | 5 |
| Articles chosen after Title Screening | 1 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 4 |
| Articles chosen after Abstract Screening | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
1 Cochrane and PubMed both shared index terms from the same source, which is also known as Medical Subject Heading (MeSH).
2 Search terms on TRIP database was not indexed due to the lack of indexing system in the database when the search was conducted. The strategy was carried out to explore the amount of answers retrieved with and without the use of alternative terms as well as truncation. The amount of answers retrieved is the same.
3,4,5All search terms in one element are linked with Boolean operator “OR”, after which search terms between different elements are linked by Boolean operator “AND”