title: Validation of a search strategy to identify nutrition trials in PubMed using the relative recall method.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop, assess, and maximize the sensitivity of a search strategy to identify diet and nutrition trials in PubMed using relative recall.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a search strategy to identify diet and nutrition trials in PubMed. We then constructed a gold standard reference set to validate the identified trials using the relative recall method. Relative recall was calculated by dividing the number of references from the gold standard our search strategy identified by the total number of references in the gold standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our gold standard comprised 298 trials, derived from 16 included systematic reviews. The initial search strategy identified 242 of 298 references, with a relative recall of 81.2% [95% confidence interval (CI): 76.3%, 85.5%]. We analyzed titles and abstracts of the 56 missed references for possible additional terms. We then modified the search strategy accordingly. The relative recall of the final search strategy was 88.6% (95% CI: 84.4%, 91.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We developed a search strategy to identify diet and nutrition trials in PubMed with a high relative recall (sensitivity). This could be useful for establishing a nutrition trials register to support the conduct of future research, including systematic reviews.
authors: South African Cochrane Centre, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parowvallei, Cape Town, Western Cape 7505, South Africa. Electronic address: solange.durao@mrc.ac.za.
authors: Solange
authors: S
authors: Durão
authors: South African Cochrane Centre, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parowvallei, Cape Town, Western Cape 7505, South Africa.
authors: Tamara
authors: T
authors: Kredo
authors: South African Cochrane Centre, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parowvallei, Cape Town, Western Cape 7505, South Africa; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, 7505, Western Cape, South Africa.
authors: Jimmy
authors: J
authors: Volmink
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000145:classification*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D017281:Cost of Illness; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000592:standards*; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D039781:PubMed; D012015:Reference Standards; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Methodology; Nutrition; Relative recall; Search strategy development; Sensitivity; Systematic reviews