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Academy · Concepts & Definitions · Repeatable search strategy
A Search Strategy That an Assessor Can Repeat: A Fully Worked Example
Most methods sections describe a search strategy in general terms. This example presents a fully specified strategy, reporting every database, search string, limit and record count.
This worked example presents a full search strategy specified to the level expected by PRISMA 2020 for reproducibility: the exact database and platform, the complete search string with its Boolean logic and controlled-vocabulary terms, the limits applied, the date on which the search was run, and the resulting record count, reported for every database searched rather than summarised across them.
Learning objectives
- The level of detail required for a strategy to be fully specified.
- The construction of search terms for a single concept, from controlled vocabulary to the complete string.
- Why a single combined record count across databases is insufficient.
Common misconceptions
- “A single combined total of search results is sufficient for reporting.” PRISMA 2020 expects the record count to be reported for each database, because a combined total does not allow an assessor to verify that the search was run correctly in each database.
Worked example for a single database
Illustrative example for MEDLINE (via Ovid): concept 1 (population) — ("myocardial infarction" OR "heart attack").mp. OR exp Myocardial Infarction/; concept 2 (intervention) — ("cardiac rehabilitation" OR "exercise therapy").mp. OR exp Cardiac Rehabilitation/; combined as concept 1 AND concept 2; limited to: English language, publication years 2015-2025, human studies. Date run: 14 March 2025. Records retrieved: 1,284.
The complete record across all databases
The same level of detail (platform-specific syntax, the exact string, limits, run date, and record count) is repeated for every database searched, for example MEDLINE (Ovid): 1,284 records; Embase (Ovid): 2,107 records; CENTRAL (Cochrane Library): 412 records; CINAHL (EBSCO): 356 records, each reported separately in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 expectation for search-method reporting1, before the combined identification-stage total (here, 4,159) is entered into the flow diagram.
Importance of this level of detail
An assessor — a peer reviewer, a methods auditor, or another researcher attempting to replicate the review — needs the exact string and platform-specific syntax to verify the search was comprehensive and correctly constructed for each database; a general description ("we searched MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL for relevant studies using key terms") gives them nothing to actually check.
Key points
Key points
A repeatable search strategy specifies the exact platform-specific string, limits, run date and record count for each database searched individually, rather than a general description or a single combined total. This level of specification allows an assessor to verify the search and, where necessary, to rerun it.
Practical application
Practical application
- Record counts should be reported for each database, not only as a combined total. This is what PRISMA 2020 specifically expects for the reporting of search methods.
- The exact, platform-specific search string should be recorded as it was run. A simplified paraphrase of the search logic is not sufficient.
- The run date should be reported for each database. Because results may change over time, the date forms part of what makes the result set reproducible at the point the search was run.
Frequently asked questions
Most journals expect the full strategy in a supplementary appendix, with a brief summary in the main methods text; the requirements of the specific journal should be checked.
The same reproducibility principle applies broadly, though the specific reporting guideline (PRISMA 2020 is health-focused) may differ by field.
The updated search should be reported with its own run date and record counts as an additional, clearly dated entry, rather than by overwriting the reported details of the original search.
References
- Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement. BMJ. 2021;372:n71. read 10 October 2026. View on BMJ
Every source above is a peer-reviewed article, a publisher’s record of one, or a standard issued by the body that owns it. Each carries the date it was last read. Where a standard moves, this article is revised rather than left up with a note.
How to cite this article
Pick your referencing style and copy it. Your university or target journal may vary the punctuation — check its guide if it has one.
Pubrica Academy. (2026, October 10). A Search Strategy That an Assessor Can Repeat: A Fully Worked Example. Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/academy/examples/repeatable-search-strategy-example/
Pubrica Academy. “A Search Strategy That an Assessor Can Repeat: A Fully Worked Example.” Pubrica, 10 Oct. 2026, pubrica.com/academy/examples/repeatable-search-strategy-example/.
Pubrica Academy (2026) A Search Strategy That an Assessor Can Repeat: A Fully Worked Example. Pubrica. Available at: https://pubrica.com/academy/examples/repeatable-search-strategy-example/ (Accessed: 15 October 2026).
Pubrica Academy. “A Search Strategy That an Assessor Can Repeat: A Fully Worked Example.” Pubrica. October 10, 2026. https://pubrica.com/academy/examples/repeatable-search-strategy-example/
Pubrica Academy, ‘A Search Strategy That an Assessor Can Repeat: A Fully Worked Example’ (Pubrica, 10 October 2026) <https://pubrica.com/academy/examples/repeatable-search-strategy-example/> accessed 15 October 2026.
Pubrica Academy. A Search Strategy That an Assessor Can Repeat: A Fully Worked Example. [Internet]. Pubrica; 2026 Oct 10 [cited 2026 Oct 15]. Available from: https://pubrica.com/academy/examples/repeatable-search-strategy-example/
Pubrica Academy, “A Search Strategy That an Assessor Can Repeat: A Fully Worked Example,” Pubrica, Oct. 10, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://pubrica.com/academy/examples/repeatable-search-strategy-example/
@misc{repeatable_search_strategy_example_2026,
author = {{Pubrica Academy}},
title = {A Search Strategy That an Assessor Can Repeat: A Fully Worked Example},
howpublished = {Pubrica},
year = {2026},
month = {oct},
url = {https://pubrica.com/academy/examples/repeatable-search-strategy-example/},
note = {Accessed: <span data-cite-acc="iso">2026-10-15</span>}
}This article is written to be learned from. Cite it if you are referring to what it says; if you are using the evidence behind it, cite the sources listed above instead.
Full search-record template
Complete per database.
Database and platform: ___ Full search string (platform-specific syntax): ___ Limits applied: ___ Date run: ___ Records retrieved: ___ (Repeat for every database searched)
Pubrica AcademyWritten and maintained by Pubrica’s subject matter experts. Articles are revised when the underlying standards change, and each article states the date on which it was last reviewed.
How Pubrica can help
Pubrica develops and documents search strategies at this level of detail, reporting the full string, limits, date and count for each database, so that a reviewer can verify that the search was run correctly.