An alternative to the hand searching gold standard: validating methodological search filters using relative recall.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Search filters or hedges play an important role in evidence-based medicine but their development depends on the availability of a "gold standard"--a reference standard against which to establish the performance of the filter. We demonstrate the feasibility of using relative recall of included studies from multiple systematic reviews to validate methodological search filters as an alternative to validation against a gold standard formed through hand searching.

Methods

We identified 105 Cochrane reviews that used the Highly Sensitive Search Strategy (HSSS), included randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials, and reported their included studies. We measured the ability of two published and one novel variant of the HSSS to retrieve the MEDLINE-index studies inc

SUBMITTER: Sampson M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1557524 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature