How do I document a reproducible search strategy for my thesis using Cochrane guidance?

Log each database, full search string, search date, and result count in a structured table, then add rerun instructions and a methods checklist to your thesis appendix. Cochrane Handbook Chapter 4 treats documenting searches as part of the review process, alongside planning searches, selecting sources, and developing strategies. PRISMA 2020 supplies a reporting checklist and flow diagrams for showing what methods were used and what studies were found and included.

Build the search log

1. Create one row per database or source you search, with columns for the source name, the exact search string, the date run, and the number of results returned. Record the string exactly as executed so a reader can rerun it.
2. Add rows for reference lists and other sources you check, since Cochrane guidance covers searching reference lists and other sources as part of the search process.
3. Keep the log in a fixed format from the first search onward. A consistent table lets you compare runs and spot gaps before you write the methods section.

Write the reproducibility appendix

1. Paste the completed search log as a table, one section per source.
2. Add rerun instructions: the interface or platform used, the fields searched, and any limits applied, stated as they appear in your log.
3. Attach a compliance checklist that ticks off each element the Cochrane chapter describes: planning, source selection, strategy development, reference-list searching, documentation, and record management.
4. Map your reporting to the PRISMA 2020 checklist and include a flow diagram of records found and included.

Check before submission

Confirm that every search string in the appendix matches the log entry for its source and date, and that result counts in the flow diagram match the log totals. Where a count differs, mark it unresolved and rerun the search to reconcile it.