Design comprehensive search strategy for medical literature review on immunotherapy effectiveness. Help me: 1) Build Boolean search strings for PubMed/Embase/Cochrane, 2) Identify relevant MeSH terms, 3) Set up search alerts, 4) Plan gray literature search, 5) Document search strategy for PRISMA reporting
Prompt
Design comprehensive search strategy for medical literature review on immunotherapy effectiveness. Help me: 1) Build Boolean search strings for PubMed/Embase/Cochrane, 2) Identify relevant MeSH terms, 3) Set up search alerts, 4) Plan gray literature search, 5) Document search strategy for PRISMA reporting
ChatGPTOpenAI
Design comprehensive search strategy for medical literature review on immunotherapy effectiveness. Help me: 1) Build Boolean search strings for PubMed/Embase/Cochrane, 2) Identify relevant MeSH terms, 3) Set up search alerts, 4) Plan gray literature search, 5) Document search strategy for PRISMA reporting
Certainly! Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to designing a comprehensive search strategy for a medical literature review focused on immunotherapy effectiveness.
1) Build Boolean Search Strings for PubMed/Embase/Cochrane
Core concepts to include:
- Immunotherapy (intervention)
- Effectiveness/outcomes (effectiveness, treatment outcomes, response)
- Patient population or condition (e.g., cancer, autoimmune diseases, if applicable)
Step 1: Identify key synonyms and variants
| Concept | Keywords and synonyms |
|---|---|
| Immunotherapy | immunotherapy OR "immune therapy" OR "immune checkpoint inhibitors" OR "checkpoint blockade" OR "CAR-T" OR "immune modulation" |
| Effectiveness | effectiveness OR efficacy OR "treatment outcome" OR response OR "clinical benefit" OR "survival" OR "disease control" |
| Disease/condition | (optional, depending on scope, e.g., cancer OR melanoma OR "non-small-cell lung cancer" OR autoimmune OR etc.) |
PubMed Boolean search string example:
("Immunotherapy"[Mesh] OR immunotherapy OR "immune therapy" OR "immune checkpoint inhibitors" OR "checkpoint blockade" OR CAR-T OR "immune modulation")
AND
(effectiveness OR efficacy OR "treatment outcome"[Mesh] OR "clinical benefit" OR response OR survival OR "disease control")Add condition if needed:
AND (cancer OR neoplasms[Mesh] OR melanoma OR "non-small-cell lung cancer" OR autoimmune)Embase Boolean string example:
Use Emtree terms and keywords:
('immunotherapy'/exp OR immunotherapy OR 'immune therapy' OR 'immune checkpoint inhibitor' OR 'checkpoint blockade' OR CAR-T OR 'immune modulation')
AND
(effectiveness OR efficacy OR 'treatment outcome'/exp OR 'clinical benefit' OR response OR survival OR 'disease control')Add conditions as needed:
AND (cancer OR neoplasm OR melanoma OR 'non-small cell lung cancer' OR autoimmune)Cochrane Library search string example:
Cochrane uses somewhat simpler syntax:
("immunotherapy" OR "immune therapy" OR "immune checkpoint inhibitor" OR "checkpoint blockade" OR CAR-T OR "immune modulation")
AND
(effectiveness OR efficacy OR "treatment outcome" OR "clinical benefit" OR response OR survival OR "disease control")2) Identify relevant MeSH terms (PubMed)
- Immunotherapy [MeSH]
- Immunity, Cellular [MeSH] (if relevant)
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors [MeSH]
- CAR-T Cell Therapy [MeSH]
- Neoplasms [MeSH] (if focusing on cancer types)
- Treatment Outcome [MeSH]
- Survival Rate [MeSH]
- Disease Progression [MeSH]
- Drug Therapy [MeSH]
For Embase, you can map these to Emtree terms similarly.
3) Set up search alerts
PubMed:
- Run the final search string in PubMed.
- Click “Create alert” under the search bar (sign in required).
- Name your alert and choose email frequency (daily, weekly, monthly).
Embase (via Ovid or Elsevier):
- Run the search.
- Save the search.
- Set up alerts to send email updates when new records match.
Cochrane Library:
- Run your search.
- Save the search.
- Set alerts to receive email notifications for updates.
4) Plan gray literature search
Include:
- Clinical trial registries: ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO ICTRP
- Conference proceedings: ASCO, ESMO, SITC, etc.
- Dissertations and Theses: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
- Guidelines and reports: NICE, WHO, CDC websites
- Preprint servers: medRxiv, bioRxiv
- Regulatory agency reports: FDA, EMA websites
Search strategy for gray literature:
- Use keyword variations from your main search.
- Use site-specific search operators (e.g., site:fda.gov immunotherapy efficacy).
- Contact domain experts or institutions for unpublished data.
5) Document search strategy for PRISMA reporting
For transparency and reproducibility, document:
- Database name and platform used (e.g., PubMed via NCBI)
- Dates of search execution
- Full search strings used, including Boolean operators and limits (filters)
- Number of results retrieved from each database
- Number of duplicates removed
- Search alerts setup date and frequency
- Gray literature sources and strategies used
Example for PRISMA section:
| Database | Date Searched | Search String | Results Returned |
|---|---|---|---|
| PubMed | 2024-06-15 | ("Immunotherapy"[Mesh] OR immunotherapy OR "immune checkpoint inhibitors") AND (effectiveness OR efficacy OR "treatment outcome"[Mesh]) | 1250 |
| Embase | 2024-06-16 | ('immunotherapy'/exp OR immunotherapy) AND (effectiveness OR efficacy OR 'treatment outcome'/exp) | 2300 |
| Cochrane | 2024-06-16 | ("immunotherapy" OR "immune checkpoint inhibitors") AND (effectiveness OR efficacy) | 150 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov | 2024-06-17 | Keywords: immunotherapy effectiveness | 350 |
Include supplementary file with exact search strings and any applied filters.
If you want, I can prepare a fully formatted search string for you based on your specific conditions or provide templates for documentation. Would you like that?
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GrokxAI
Design comprehensive search strategy for medical literature review on immunotherapy effectiveness. Help me: 1) Build Boolean search strings for PubMed/Embase/Cochrane, 2) Identify relevant MeSH terms, 3) Set up search alerts, 4) Plan gray literature search, 5) Document search strategy for PRISMA reporting
Error calling Grok API.
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MistralMistral AI
Design comprehensive search strategy for medical literature review on immunotherapy effectiveness. Help me: 1) Build Boolean search strings for PubMed/Embase/Cochrane, 2) Identify relevant MeSH terms, 3) Set up search alerts, 4) Plan gray literature search, 5) Document search strategy for PRISMA reporting
Certainly! Conducting a comprehensive literature review on the effectiveness of immunotherapy involves several steps. Below is a detailed plan to help you build a robust search strategy:
1. Build Boolean Search Strings for PubMed/Embase/Cochrane
PubMed
("immunotherapy"[MeSH Terms] OR "immunotherapy"[All Fields] OR "immune checkpoint inhibitors"[All Fields] OR "PD-1"[All Fields] OR "PD-L1"[All Fields] OR "CTLA-4"[All Fields] OR "CAR-T"[All Fields] OR "chimeric antigen receptor"[All Fields]) AND ("effectiveness"[All Fields] OR "efficacy"[All Fields] OR "outcomes"[All Fields] OR "survival"[All Fields] OR "response rate"[All Fields] OR "clinical trial"[All Fields] OR "randomized controlled trial"[All Fields])Embase
('immunotherapy'/exp OR 'immunotherapy' OR 'immune checkpoint inhibitors' OR 'PD-1' OR 'PD-L1' OR 'CTLA-4' OR 'CAR-T' OR 'chimeric antigen receptor') AND ('effectiveness' OR 'efficacy' OR 'outcomes' OR 'survival' OR 'response rate' OR 'clinical trial' OR 'randomized controlled trial')Cochrane
(immunotherapy OR "immune checkpoint inhibitors" OR "PD-1" OR "PD-L1" OR "CTLA-4" OR "CAR-T" OR "chimeric antigen receptor") AND (effectiveness OR efficacy OR outcomes OR survival OR "response rate" OR "clinical trial" OR "randomized controlled trial")2. Identify Relevant MeSH Terms
For PubMed, you can use the following MeSH terms:
- Immunotherapy
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
- PD-1 Receptor
- PD-L1 Protein
- CTLA-4 Antigen
- Chimeric Antigen Receptor
- Clinical Trials as Topic
- Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
- Treatment Outcome
- Survival Rate
3. Set Up Search Alerts
PubMed
- Go to the PubMed homepage.
- Enter your search string.
- Click on "Create alert" under the search box.
- Follow the prompts to set up the alert frequency and delivery method.
Embase
- Go to the Embase homepage.
- Enter your search string.
- Click on "Save Search" and then "Create Alert."
- Follow the prompts to set up the alert frequency and delivery method.
Cochrane
- Go to the Cochrane Library homepage.
- Enter your search string.
- Click on "Save Search" and then "Create Alert."
- Follow the prompts to set up the alert frequency and delivery method.
4. Plan Gray Literature Search
Gray literature includes conference abstracts, theses, dissertations, and reports from organizations. Here are some sources to consider:
- Conference Proceedings: ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology), ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology), AACR (American Association for Cancer Research).
- Theses and Dissertations: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD).
- Organizational Reports: National Cancer Institute (NCI), World Health Organization (WHO), European Medicines Agency (EMA).
- Clinical Trial Registries: ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP).
5. Document Search Strategy for PRISMA Reporting
Search Strategy Documentation
- Databases Searched:
- PubMed
- Embase
- Cochrane Library
- Search Strings:
- PubMed: [Insert the Boolean search string]
- Embase: [Insert the Boolean search string]
- Cochrane: [Insert the Boolean search string]
- MeSH Terms Used:
- List all relevant MeSH terms used in the search.
- Gray Literature Sources:
- Conference Proceedings: ASCO, ESMO, AACR
- Theses and Dissertations: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, OATD
- Organizational Reports: NCI, WHO, EMA
- Clinical Trial Registries: ClinicalTrials.gov, ICTRP
- Search Alerts:
- Describe the setup of search alerts in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane.
- Date of Last Search:
- Record the date when the last search was conducted.
- Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria:
- Clearly define the criteria for including and excluding studies.
- Screening Process:
- Describe the process for screening titles, abstracts, and full texts.
- Data Extraction:
- Describe the method for extracting data from included studies.
- PRISMA Flow Diagram:
- Create a PRISMA flow diagram to illustrate the number of records identified, screened, assessed for eligibility, and included in the review.
By following this comprehensive search strategy, you will ensure that your literature review on the effectiveness of immunotherapy is thorough and meets the standards for PRISMA reporting.
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💡 Try this comparison yourself:Compare AI models side-by-side on SNEOS
Analysis
This comparison demonstrates the different approaches each AI model takes when responding to the same prompt. Here are the key differences observed:
Response Characteristics
ChatGPT: Provides a detailed response with 40 sentences.
Grok: Provides a concise response with 1 sentences.
Mistral: Provides a direct response with 56 sentences.
Key Takeaways
- Each model brings unique strengths to this type of query
- Response styles vary significantly between models
- Consider your specific use case when choosing between these models
Try This Comparison Yourself
Want to test these models with your own prompts? Visit SNEOS.com to compare AI responses side-by-side in real-time.
This comparison was generated using the SNEOS AI Comparison ToolPublished: October 15, 2025 | Models: ChatGPT, Grok, Mistral