See https://libguides.library.nuigalway.ie/Systematic_Reviews/Documentingsearches for more information.
See example search strategy from the Centre for Reviews & Dissemination, which demonstrates how to combine concepts using Boolean operators as follows (for Ovid Medline interface):
1 Hip Joint/
2 Hip Prosthesis/
3 Acetabulum/
4 hip replacement$.ti,ab.
5 total-hip replacement$.ti,ab.
6 total joint replacement$.ti,ab.
7 hip surgery.ti,ab.
8 hip operation$.ti,ab.
9 (hip adj3 prosthe$).ti,ab.
10 (hip adj3 arthroplasty).ti,ab.
11 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10
12 exp Bacterial Infections/
13 exp Postoperative Complications/
14 Surgical Wound Infection/
14 Prosthesis-Related Infections/
16 Sepsis/
17 exp Anti-Infective Agents/
18 exp Infection Control/
19 exp Antibiotics/
20 Antibiotic Prophylaxis/
21 ((bacteri$ or wound$) adj2 (infect$ or contamin$)).ti,ab.
22 sepsis.ti,ab.
23 antibiotic$.ti,ab.
24 antimicrobial$.ti,ab.
25 anti-microbial$.ti,ab.
26 (anti$ adj infect$).ti,ab.
27 ultraclean.ti,ab.
28 hypersterile.ti,ab.
29 or/12-28
30 11 and 29
This example search strategy from the Centre for Reviews & Dissemination is available on this web page via the PDF called 'Guidance PDF'. See Appendix 2 which provides a detailed discussion of how to structure a search from a review question, including the use of search filters for study design.
NHS Centre for Reviews & Dissemination. Systematic Reviews: CRD's Guidance for Undertaking Reviews in Healthcare. York: University of York NHS Centre for Reviews & Dissemination, 2009.
