Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32256231›Full record

Trial reportJournal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA2020

Improving the translation of search strategies using the Polyglot Search Translator: a randomized controlled trial.

Justin Michael Clark, Sharon Sanders, Matthew Carter, David Honeyman, Gina Cleo, Yvonne Auld, Debbie Booth, Patrick Condron, Christine Dalais, Sarah Bateup and 11 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 314 papers, 79 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
314citing papers in PubMed, 79 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

314 citing papers in PubMed, 79 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  8. Exercise improves quality of life, mental health and pain in people living with osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2026
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254 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Justin Michael ClarkInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia, jclark@bond.edu.au, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0133-1613.
Sharon SandersInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia, ssanders@bond.edu.au.
Matthew CarterInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia, macarter@bond.edu.au.
David HoneymanBond University Library, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia, d_honeyman@hotmail.com.
Gina CleoInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia, gcleo@bond.edu.au.
Yvonne AuldGold Coast Health Library Service, Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Queensland, Australia, Yvonne.Auld@health.qld.gov.au.
Debbie BoothUniversity Library, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia, debbie.booth@newcastle.edu.au.
Patrick CondronUniversity Library, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, p.condron@unimelb.edu.au.
Christine DalaisUniversity Library, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, c.dalais@library.uq.edu.au.
Sarah BateupBond University Library, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia, sbateup@bond.edu.au.
Bronwyn LinthwaiteBond University Library, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia, blinthwa@bond.edu.au.
Nikki MaySturt Library, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, nikki.may@sa.gov.au.
Jo MunnCentre for Teaching and Learning, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, Joanne.Munn@scu.edu.au.
Lindy RamsayUniversity Library, Australian Catholic University, Banyo, Queensland, Australia, Lindy.Ramsay@acu.edu.au.
Kirsty RickettUniversity Library, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, k.rickett@library.uq.edu.au.
Cameron RutterUniversity Library, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia, c.rutter@qut.edu.au.
Angela SmithHunter New England Health Libraries, New South Wales (NSW) Health, Hunter Region, New South Wales, Australia, Angela.Smith@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au.
Peter SondergeldUniversity Library, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia, p.sondergeld@qut.edu.au.
Margie WallinUniversity Library, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, jam232@gmail.com.
Mark JonesInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia, majones@bond.edu.au.
Elaine BellerInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia, ebeller@bond.edu.au.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSearching for studies to include in a systematic review (SR) is a time- and labor-intensive process with searches of multiple databases recommended. To reduce the time spent translating search strings across databases, a tool called the Polyglot Search Translator (PST) was developed. The authors evaluated whether using the PST as a search translation aid reduces the time required to translate search strings without increasing errors.

methodsIn a randomized trial, twenty participants were randomly allocated ten database search strings and then randomly assigned to translate five with the assistance of the PST (PST-A method) and five without the assistance of the PST (manual method). We compared the time taken to translate search strings, the number of errors made, and how close the number of references retrieved by a translated search was to the number retrieved by a reference standard translation.

resultsSixteen participants performed 174 translations using the PST-A method and 192 translations using the manual method. The mean time taken to translate a search string with the PST-A method was 31 minutes versus 45 minutes by the manual method (mean difference: 14 minutes). The mean number of errors made per translation by the PST-A method was 8.6 versus 14.6 by the manual method. Large variation in the number of references retrieved makes results for this outcome inconclusive, although the number of references retrieved by the PST-A method was closer to the reference standard translation than the manual method.

conclusionWhen used to assist with translating search strings across databases, the PST can increase the speed of translation without increasing errors. Errors in search translations can still be a problem, and search specialists should be aware of this.

Indexed as

Health Information InteroperabilityDatabases, BibliographicHumansInformation LiteracyInformation Storage and RetrievalSystematic Reviews as Topic

Identifiers

PMID32256231
PMCPMC7069833

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.