Stage 2: Developing the Search: Anatomy of a Search Strategy

Anatomy of a Search Strategy

Before going forward, you may want a clearer idea of what a search strategy looks like. Broken down, this is what a (particularly short) search strategy looks like.

Research question: Does weight-bearing exercise reduce the likelihood of fractures in older women with osteoarthritis?

For examples of search strategies from published studies, click on the internet icon beside the provided reference:

• Search Strategy Example from a Scoping Review. From the article: Social media use among patients and caregivers: a scoping review. Hamm, M. et al. (2013). BMJ open, 3(5), e002819.
• Tables S2-S4: Bohren, et al. (2015). The mistreatment of women during childbirth in health facilities globally: a mixed-methods systematic review. PLoS medicine, 12(6), e1001847.