Now that you have a clear and well written research question and have decided where to search, you need to create a well written search strategy.

A search strategy for a knowledge synthesis will contain three fundamental traits. They are:

• Comprehensive: They capture all the available research across many sources, often with the assistance of a trained information professional like a librarian 
• Transparent: Every step and decision is recorded and described in the end report or in an online appendix 
• Replicable: Sufficient detail is provided that another researcher could repeat the process and come out with identical or very similar results 

Your search strategy is different from your research question, but your question will be the guiding force behind your strategy.

Research Question = what you are looking to answer

Search Strategy = how you will ask the database to find those answers

You need to find a balance between the precision (or specificity) of your search, and the comprehensiveness (or sensitivity) of the search, depending on your particular question and objectives. Most knowledge synthesis projects will require a search that leans toward being comprehensive. 

A Precise Search

• usually has relatively small number of results;
• most of those results tend to be relevant;
• little filtering required.

BUT, it is probably missing a lot of very relevant material.

A Comprehensive Search

• contains many synonyms and alternatives of search terms;
• searches multiple resources, including databases and grey literature;
• overall, casts a much wider net, and retrieve most, if not all, of the relevant material.

BUT, it will also retrieve a higher number of irrelevant materials, and thus require more work on your part, to distinguish which are relevant for your study.

Introduction to Systematic Review Searching Workshop

If you would like to learn more about creating search strategies, the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta has developed a freely available online course called Introduction to Systematic Review Searching:

• The workshop consists of 14 modules which begin with the introduction of systematic review searching as the data gathering phase of the systematic review methodology and end with documenting your search for publication in a systematic review paper.