COCHRANE

Cochrane Power Search Tips

Every word of the document text in the Ovid Cochrane Database is searchable, including references, captions, and footnotes. Practice the following two search tips for best results:

  1. OR together synonyms for each concept.
  2. Truncate words that could have variant endings with a dollar sign($) or colon (:).
  • Example: myocardial infarct$ OR heart attack$
Getting Started
Browse Cochrane

Browse Topics feature allows you to explore the articles in the database by topic, and access information about the individual Collaborative Review Groups.

  1. Click on the Browse Topics icon .
  2. Notice that the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group currently has 58 articles in the database - some will be protocols of ongoing studies and some will be systematic reviews.
  3. Click on its Tables-of-Contents link to see the list of individual studies.
  4. Select item number 57 - " Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold" and click on the Topic Review to read the systematic review.

Click on the blue button to return to the Main Search Page.

Search Cochrane

Search Question : In a healthy 65yo woman with well-controlled hypertension and asymptomatic atrial fibrillation, is treatment with aspirin as effective as coumadin in decreasing the incidence of stroke?

Search Question in PICO format:

Population = 65yo female w/ atrial fib & controlled HTN
Intervention = aspirin
Comparison, if any = coumadin
Outcome = decreased incidence of stroke

  1. In the box labeled Enter Keyword or Phrase: please enter the first search concept: atrial fibrillation. Click on the Perform Search button.

  2. The OVID search interface now returns to the Main Search Screen. Search results are displayed in the Search History box. This list will grow as more searches are performed.

  3. Enter the second concept: aspirin OR asa . (Note that we are including all possible synonyms for this concept to increase our possible relevant retrieval.) Click on the Perform Search button.

  4. Enter the third concept:warfarin OR coumadin. (Note that we are including all possible synoyms for this concept to increase our possible relevant retrieval.) Click on the Perform Search button.

  5. To find the hits that have all 3 items in common, use the AND connector to combine all the search terms on the same line: 1 AND 2 AND 3

  6. Your search should retrieve 13 hits.

  7. Cochrane allows you to Limit your results to Systematic reviews, Protocols, New Reviews, or Recently Updated Reviews. These Limits can be found below the search box.

    • Systematic Reviews - A limit to Review Articles restricts your search retrieval to complete review articles, which are updated and maintained by the Collaborative Review Groups.

    • Protocols - A limit to Protocols limits your search to a review that is currently being prepared. Protocols are the background, objectives, and methods of reviews in preparation.

    • New Reviews - A limit to New Reviews restricts your search to reviews that have been added since the last update.

    • Recently Updated Reviews - A limit to Recently Updated Reviews restricts your search retrieval to reviews that have been significantly changed since the last update.

  8. Limit your retrieval to Systematic Reviews and hit Perform Search. This will automatically Limit your last search set. You should now have 11 hits.

  9. Click on the Display hyperlink next to the last search set in the Search History box.

  10. The citation search results are now displayed.  The default display is Titles Display. Note the check boxes to the left of each citation. These can be used to select the references from the search.

  11. Each citation includes the following information:
    • Author names in black text
    • Article title in burgundy or red/brown
    • Cochrane Review Group name
    • Cochrane source information

  12. Below each citation are links to the record's:
    • abstract
    • complete reference
    • table-of-contents
    • topic review
Displaying Your Results

Click on the Topic Review hypertext link for Record 5, "Antiplatelet therapy for preventing stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and no previous history of stroke or transient ischemic attacks"

You are now in a Cochrane Systematic Review. Note under the title and author information there is the Date of Most Recent Update and the Date of Most Recent Substantive Update. This information is important as Cochrane Reviews are updated and amended regularly as new evidence becomes available and errors identified.

Each review consists of:

  • Title, citation details & contact information
  • Structured abstract
  • Text of the review, methods, results, discussion and conclusions. Also included are references and tables and figures showing characteristics of the included studies.
Printing or Emailing Your Results

Within each review there is an Output box on the right that helps you print the review. Click on the Print Preview button in this box. Select a graphic size (medium is recommended) and click on the Continue button. Use your browser's File/Print command (or click on the Print icon) to send the job to the printer.

You may also email your results (click on the Back button twice to return to the Review and Output box), by clicking on Email Article Text.

Finishing Your Search

Return to the Main Search Page by clicking on one of the navigation buttons at the top or bottom of the page.

Click the Logoff icon to exit the OVID database system.