title: Search filters can find some but not all knowledge translation articles in MEDLINE: an analytic survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Advances from health research are not well applied giving rise to over- and underuse of resources and inferior care. Knowledge translation (KT), actions and processes of getting research findings used in practice, can improve research application. The KT literature is difficult to find because of nonstandardized terminology, rapid evolution of the field, and it is spread across several domains. We created multiple search filters to retrieve KT articles from MEDLINE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analytic survey using articles from 12 journals tagged as having KT content and also as describing a KT application or containing a KT theory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 2,594 articles, 579 were KT articles of which 201 were about KT applications and 152 about KT theory. Search filter sensitivity (retrieval efficiency) maximized at 83%-94% with specificity (no retrieval of irrelevant material) approximately 50%. Filter performances were enhanced with multiple terms, but these filters often had reduced specificity. Performance was higher for KT applications and KT theory articles. These filters can select KT material although many irrelevant articles also will be retrieved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  KT search filters were developed and tested, with good sensitivity but suboptimal specificity. Further research must improve their performance.
authors.affiliation: Health Information Research Unit, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, 137 CRL Building, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1. mckib@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: K Ann
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: McKibbon
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lokker
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Wilczynski
authors.forename: R Brian
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ciliska
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dobbins
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Sharon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Straus
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D019359:Knowledge; D016239:MEDLINE; D046650:Medical Subject Headings; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D014177:Translations