What type of study is this?

This is a Cross-Sectional Study study (also classified as: Systematic Review).

What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess the comprehensiveness of search strategies in systematic reviews regarding sources used.

May 7, 2026Open Access

How comprehensive is comprehensive? Prevalence of searches beyond peer-reviewed journal articles and bibliographic sources: a cross-sectional study of systematic reviews

Key Points

To assess the comprehensiveness of search strategies in systematic reviews regarding sources used.
Conducted a cross-sectional study of systematic reviews
Analyzed the prevalence of searches beyond peer-reviewed articles
Identified the types of resources systematized reviews utilize.
Between a third and a half of systematic reviews searched for study reports beyond journal articles
Many systematic reviews included resources with non-journal article reports
Searches often identified study reports despite not explicitly seeking them.

Abstract

= 1,253) of all the systematic reviews, the searches performed had the potential to identify study reports other than journal articles. Between a third and a half of systematic reviews search for study reports other than journal articles. Systematic review searches often search resources that include study reports other than journal articles, whether or not the reviewers explicitly sought them.

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