Irreproducibility in searches of scientific literature: A comparative analysis.

ABSTRACT: Repeatability is the cornerstone of science, and it is particularly important for systematic reviews. However, little is known on how researchers' choice of database, and search platform influence the repeatability of systematic reviews. Here, we aim to unveil how the computer environment and the location where the search was initiated from influence hit results.We present a comparative analysis of time-synchronized searches at different institutional locations in the world and evaluate the consistency of hits obtained within each of the search terms using different search platforms.We revealed a large variation among search platforms and showed that PubMed and Scopus returned consistent results to identical search strings from different locations. Google Scholar and Web of Science's Core

SUBMITTER: Pozsgai G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8571571 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature