This is an archived version of the Handbook. For the current version, please go to training.cochrane.org/handbook/current.

Box 6.4.f: Demonstration search strategy for MEDLINE (Ovid format), for the topic ‘Tamoxifen for breast cancer’

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

randomized controlled trial.pt.

controlled clinical trial.pt.

randomized.ab.

placebo.ab.

drug therapy.fs.

randomly.ab.

trial.ab.

groups.ab.

1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8

animals.sh. not (humans.sh. and animals.sh.)

9 not 10

exp Breast Neoplasms/

(breast adj6 cancer$).mp.

(breast adj6 neoplasm$).mp.

(breast adj6 carcinoma$).mp.

(breast adj6 tumour$).mp.

(breast adj6 tumor$).mp.

12 or 13 or 14 or 15 or 16 or 17

exp Tamoxifen/

tamoxifen.mp.

19 or 20

11 and 18 and 21

The ‘adj6’ operator indicates within six words;

‘$’ indicates truncation;

.mp. indicates a search of title, original title, abstract, name of substance word and subject heading word.