Distress Inflammatory Response Systematic Review Search Strategies

Abstract

The review team worked with a social sciences librarian (VAR) to create detailed search strings for this systematic review. The librarian constructed and ran the searches, beginning with a preliminary search in PubMed (NLM). The preliminary search strategy was further refined through discussion with two informationists at the University of Michigan Taubman Health Sciences Library, Whitney A. Townsend, MLIS, and Jenna Lepczyk, MLIS. Both colleagues reviewed the search strategies and recommended changes adopted by VAR. The revised search for PubMed (NLM) was accepted by the PI (AAM) on 2025-04-03 and VAR translated the search strategy for the rest of the databases: Embase (Elsevier), APA PsycINFO (EBSCO), Web of Science Core Collection Social Sciences Citation Index (Clarivate), and Scopus (Elsevier). Database search strings were constructed using controlled vocabularies available for specific databases as well as keyword, title, and abstract searching. No publication type or language restrictions were applied and all databases were searched from their inception. Grey literature searches were conducted in Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley), OAIster (OCLC), and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (ProQuest). A final search of databases and grey literature was conducted on 2025-04-25 and found 3,462 results. The librarian exported all results into EndNote X.21, which found 2 retractions and 742 duplicates within the results, leaving 2,720 records for the team to screen in Covidence.