Systematic Search for Health

Updating a review or re-running searches

You may need to re-run database searches when updating an older review or before publishing a new review to see if any articles have become available since the search was last run. If you have kept good documentation and the search strategy is already saved in your databases, your task will be easier! 

Considerations when updating the search strategy

The search used for review updates should remain as close to the original used as possible, with a few exceptions:   

• Does the original search strategy have errors? If yes, these should be corrected and potentially noted for transparency  
• Has terminology changed since the search was last run? If yes, you will need to review and decide whether new terms should be added to the search strategy 
• Have any subject headings changed or have new subject headings been added to the database? If yes, you will need to review and decide whether these should be added to the search strategy 
• Are the databases the search was originally run in still available? If not, check to see if there is an equivalent database worth using instead or the search is OK to just run in the original databases which are still available 

When the search is re-run, this should be noted in review methods and any associated documentation.  

Steps for updating a review