Table 4.
Freqency of databases searched and other search methods used to identify primary studies included in systematic reviews of pediatric complementary and alternative medicine
| Databases Searched | N | % |
| Medline (or Index Medicus) | 32 | 68.1% |
| Cochrane Library | 17 | 36.2% |
| Embase (or Excerpta Medica) | 13 | 27.7% |
| PsycLit (or Psych. Abstracts) | 13 | 27.7% |
| CINAHL | 10 | 21.3% |
| Dissertation Abstracts | 7 | 14.9% |
| Biosis (or Biological Abstracts) | 6 | 12.8% |
| Science Citation Index (ISI) | 5 | 10.6% |
| Current Contents | 3 | 6.4% |
| Pysclnfo | 3 | 6.4% |
| HealthStar | 2 | 4.3% |
| SocioFile or Sociological Abstracts | 2 | 4.3% |
| Other Bibliographic Databases1 | 12 | 25.5% |
| Other Trials Registries2 | 2 | 4.3% |
| Other search methods | ||
| Reference Lists Reviewed | 34 | 72.3% |
| Experts / Corresponding Authors | 16 | 34.0% |
| Hand Searching | 11 | 23.4% |
| Conference Proceedings / Abstracts | 8 | 17.0% |
| Pharmaceutical Companies / Manufacturers | 6 | 12.8% |
| No search reported | 4 | 8.5% |
| Personal Files | 3 | 6.4% |
| Search mentioned but details not reported | 3 | 6.4% |
| Subject Bibliography | 1 | 2.1% |
1Other databases searched included ALTA religions database, Cancelit, CISCOM, ERIC, Index to the Chiropractic Literature, MANTIS, Mental Health Abstracts, Phytodok and SIGLE 2Other trial registries searched included National Library of Medicine database of published trials and Oxford database of perinatal trials.