SLR Search String Builder

When to use

• Use it to draft the concept structure for a literature or systematic search.
• Use it before translating the query into database-specific fields, subject headings, and proximity operators.
• Work with an information specialist for high-stakes or publication-grade evidence searches.

How to use

1. Enter one concept per line and separate synonyms with commas.
2. Keep population, intervention/exposure, and outcome concepts distinct where the protocol requires them.
3. Generate the Boolean draft and inspect parentheses and term variants.
4. Translate and test the draft separately in every target database.

Inputs

Concept rows

Enter one concept per line, with comma-separated synonyms.

Notes

Free-text notes are parsed locally in the browser after the explicit action is clicked.

Notation

Interpretation

• OR broadens retrieval within a concept; AND narrows retrieval across concepts.
• The generated string is a syntax starting point, not proof of search sensitivity or specificity.
• Controlled vocabulary, field tags, spelling variants, and database limits must be added in the target system.

Effect-size guidance

• Evaluate retrieval with known relevant records rather than query length.
• Record result counts and reasons for each query revision.
• Avoid outcome terms when they make the search miss eligible studies.

Worked examples

Assumptions

• Each line represents one distinct search concept.
• Comma-separated entries are true synonyms or justified related terms.
• Database-specific syntax is verified in official help documentation.

Practical guidance

• Pilot the search against sentinel papers.
• Save the exact executed query and date for every database.
• Have another reviewer inspect the concept groups before final searching.

Common mistakes

• Joining synonyms with AND.
• Omitting parentheses around OR groups.
• Using one database's field syntax unchanged in another.

Limitations

• Database syntax differs; always verify the final query in each database.
• Controlled vocabulary terms such as MeSH require expert review.

Related workflow links