Search filters

Search filters are pre-tested strategies that identify the higher quality evidence from the vast amounts of literature indexed in the major medical databases. Filters exist for most types of experimental design, and are comprised of index terms relating to study type and specific terms associated with the methodological description of good experimental design.

The search filters used by SIGN are developed in-house or are created by other research organisations and adapted to meet SIGN information needs. SIGN's filters may provide less sensitive searches than used by other systematic reviewers such as The Cochrane Collaboration, but enable the retrieval of medical studies that are most likely to match SIGN's methodological criteria.