Stage 2: Developing the Search: Select your Databases

Select your Databases

When choosing databases, use ones that cover the majority of the relevant literature. Because there are many resources to choose from, you will need to strategically pick which ones you will use.

To help guide you through the process of determining which databases to search for your review, ask yourself the following questions:

The following are answers to possible questions you may have regarding database selection:

Select Additional Sources to Search

Once you have chosen your databases, your next hurdle is to find additional sources that are relevant to the review.

This may include:

• Searching grey literature
• Hand searching
• Searching clinical trial registries
• Contacting authors and content experts

It would be wise at this point to consult with a librarian for advice specific to your search.