Objective To study the methodology of Chinese literature retrieval. Methods The manual review of the literature was served as the “gold standard” against database search strategies (the diagnostic tests). We selected original articles about treatment, rehabilitation and randomized controlled trials from 31 journals. The articles were downloaded from the Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM). We selected potentially useful words through a word frequency analysis and determined the frequency of all the words in the titles, abstracts, and subject indexes. All the selected journals functioned as a closed database. The sensitivity, specificity and precision of all the high frequency words were calculated and the high frequency words of large sensitivity×precision were considered as final searching words. All the searching strategies were produced by computer programe which consisted of all searching words, title field and abstract field. Meanwhile, the sensitivity, specificity, precision and NNR (number needed to read) were calculated. Among the strategies, those comprised of all searching words would be used in CBM disc database, those of title and abstract words in Chinese Web Databases. The best strategies were those of high sensitivity and high specificity. Results 2 570 articles were selected and 45 articles met the gold standard. The strategies emphasized sensitivity were “therapeutic use OR random OR control(for CBM disc) and multicenter OR therapeutic outcome OR random (for Chinese online databases)”. The strategies emphasized specificity were “placebo OR prospective study(MH) OR double blind OR random controled trial (MH) (for CBM disc) and placebo OR prospective) OR double blind OR efficiency (for Chinese online databases).”Conclusions The method is optimal for Chinese literature databases
ObjectiveTo analyze the retrieval status of master and doctoral dissertations entitled systematic review/meta-analysis (SR/MA) in China. MethodsThe China Dissertation Database was searched for master and doctoral dissertations entitled SR/MA from 1980 to March 2015. Two reviewers independently extracted the basic characteristics of included dissertations, the name of retrieval databases, retrieval strategies and the method of screening literature. Then related data were analysed by Stata 12.0 software. ResultsA total of 1 639 master and doctoral dissertations entitled SR/MA were included for data analysis. Among them, 1 259 (79.5%) retrieved both Chinese databases and English databases, 107 (6.5%) retrieved Chinese databases alone, and the other 237 (14.5%) retrieved English databases alone. 1 137 (69.4%) retrieved two or more Chinese databases, while 1 316 (80.3%) retrieved two or more English databases. The most commonly retrieved Chinese databases were CNKI, VIP, CBM, and WanFang Data; while the most frequently retrieved English databases were PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMbase and Ovid. 89.9% reported the duration of search time, 73.4% reported manual retrieval, 68.6% reported reference retrieval, 23.3% reported conference retrieval, 23.3% reported using search engine and 26.8% reported contact with experts and authors. 45.8% reported their steps of screening papers, 37.5% provided a flow screening chart, and only 14.9% reported the number of papers from each database. ConclusionThe current study suggests that the retrieved databases of master and doctoral dissertations entitled SR/MA in China are still not enough. We suggest the authors of dissertations on SR/MA retrieve at least 3 common databases, reference, engines, conference paper at the same time, and improve information on search strategy and paper screening methods.
This paper introduced database resources, retrieval methods, boolean operators, wildcard characters and proximity operators of ProQuest Dialog. Integrated with characteristics of literature retrieval of systematic reviews, this paper also introduced how to search literature in ProQuest Dialog when conducting a systematic review, in order to help reviewers to reasonably choose databases and improve their searching efficiency.
ObjectiveTo explore the abilities of thesis writing of postgraduate medical freshpeople and their factors, and provide a basis for postgraduate education and course design of thesis writing.MethodsA designed questionnaire was administered to postgraduate medical freshpeople enrolled in West China Medical School of Sichuan University in 2020. The general characteristics, current status of skills or experiences related to thesis writing, and abilities including literature retrieval and reading, statistical analysis, diagramming, research paper writing, and journal selection and submission of the postgraduates were collected in September 2020. Logical regression was conducted to analyze the factors affecting the abilities of thesis writing.ResultsA total of 503 valid questionnaires were collected. Over one half of the graduate students (58.3%) were satisfied with the ability of literature retrieval and reading, with the highest score among the five abilities [median (lower quartile, upper quartile) was 3 (2, 3)]. Less than 20% of the students were satisfied with the remaining four abilities, with the lowest scores in the abilities of diagramming, research paper writing, and journal selection and submission [each median (lower quartile, upper quartile) was 1 (1, 2)]. Research experience and acknowledge of reporting guidelines were independent factors for all abilities related to thesis writing (P<0.05). Proficiency in statistical software was an independent factor for the abilities of data statistical analysis, diagramming, research paper writing, and journal selection and submission (P<0.05). Having published scientific paper was an independent factor for ability of journal selection and submission [odds ratio=4.695, 95% confidence interval (2.166, 10.180), P<0.001].ConclusionsThe postgraduate medical freshpeople of West China Medical School are not satisfied with the ability of statistical analysis, diagramming, paper writing, or journal selection and submission. Attention should be paid to research practice and learning of reporting guidelines, while statistical courses and diagramming courses should be set up expressly.