Box 1.

Glossary of Terms

Database	An organized and structured collection of information (data) stored electronically within a computer system, which allows data to be accessed, manipulated, and updated.
Systematic evidence map (SEM)	A queryable database of systematically gathered evidence (eg, academic literature and industry reports). SEMs extract and structure data and/or metadata for exploration following a rigorous methodology which aims to minimize bias and maximize transparency.
Coding	The process of assigning controlled vocabulary labels or categories (referred to as “code”) to data, which allows comparisons to be drawn despite the heterogeneity of the underlying dataset. For example, extracted data such as “mouse,” “rat,” and “guinea pig” might all be coded as “rodent” for broad comparison.
Query	A request for data from a database. By requesting data that meets a particular set of conditions, users can query a database for a subset of information of relevance to their specific research interests.
Schema	The organizational plan (“blueprint”) for the structure of a database, detailing the entities stored in the database, the attributes associated with those entities, how those entities are related, what data-types can be stored in the database, etc.
Schemaless	Refers to databases which do not have a fixed and predefined schema.
Schema, on-write	Refers to the application of a schema before data is stored (written) to the database.
Schema, on-read	Refers to the application of a schema after data has been written to the database, at the time the data is accessed (read).
Ontology	A shared and reusable conceptualization of a domain which applies a logically related controlled vocabulary to describe the domain concepts, their properties and relations.