Record each database, the search date, and the full strategy as run, then attach that record to your review so the search can be rerun and audited. Cochrane Handbook Chapter 4 treats documenting searches as part of the review's methods, alongside planning searches, selecting sources, and developing strategies.
What to capture
For every source you search, log the database or platform name, the date the search was run, and the complete strategy exactly as executed, including field tags, filters, and limits. PubMed's field tags and filters change which records a strategy returns, so the logged version should match what the platform actually ran. Keep the record with the review files so a reader or reviewer can repeat the search later.
Sequence
- Plan the search and list the sources you will cover, then open a search record with one entry per source. Expected result: every database, trial register, and reference-list check has a line before searching begins.
- Run each strategy and paste the full executed version into its entry with the run date. Expected result: each entry reproduces the result set when rerun on the same platform.
- Attach the completed record to the review and align the reported methods with PRISMA 2020, which asks for transparent reporting of the methods used and the studies found and included. Expected result: the methods section and the search record describe the same searches.
Checks before submission
Confirm that each entry names a source, a date, and a strategy, and that no source in your methods section is missing from the record. If a strategy was revised, keep the earlier version and its date so the change is visible. When a rerun returns different results, treat the difference as unresolved and check the platform's current syntax and filters before concluding anything about the original search.