Developing a Comprehensive Search

The goal of query management is to create sensitive search strategies that identify all relevant literature. RevPro provides tools to help you build, store, and adapt your queries for multiple databases.

The Query Management Dashboard

Navigate to the "Query Management" section in your project. This dashboard is where you organize your work. The main components are:

  • Search Strategies: A high-level grouping for your search concepts (e.g., "PICO Component - Intervention," "PICO Component - Population"). You can create multiple strategies to keep your search organized.
  • Search Queries: Within each strategy, you save the specific query strings for different databases (e.g., the PubMed version, the Scopus version).
The Query Management dashboard in RevPro.
The Query Management dashboard in RevPro.

Using the Query Builder & Translator

The "Query Builder & Translator" is a powerful tool designed to help you construct and adapt your searches. From this page, you can:

  • Build Queries: Use the text editor to draft your main search query, combining keywords with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).
  • Translate Syntax: While not fully automatic, this tool provides a workspace to help you manually adapt your base query for the specific syntax of different databases (e.g., changing MeSH terms for PubMed to Emtree for Embase).
  • Save Queries: Directly save your finalized query strings to a chosen search strategy without leaving the page.

By keeping all your strategies and queries in one centralized location, RevPro ensures that your search process is transparent, documented, and easy to report in your final manuscript.

The incidence of jarisch–herxheimer reaction among patients with louse-born relapsing fever in Ethiopia, and its clinical predictors and association with mortality- a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Search Module - User Guide

A comprehensive guide to building, translating, and executing search strategies.

Back to Query Manager

The Search Module is a powerful suite of tools integrated into ReviProHub. It is designed to help you construct complex search queries, translate them for various academic databases, execute searches, and analyze the results, ensuring your search strategies are comprehensive, accurate, and reproducible.

Workflow Overview

The module follows a logical three-step process:

  1. Build or Load a Master Query: Use the Query Builder to construct a search string in a standard format (PubMed short form).
  2. Translate the Master Query: Use either the AI-Powered or Rule-Based translator to adapt your query for different databases.
  3. Execute Search & Analyze Results: Run your translated query against supported databases (like PubMed and LENS.org), import studies, and review summary analytics.

Part 1: The Query Builder

This is your starting point. The goal is to create a single, editable "Master Query" that represents your complete search logic.

Using the Short Form Builder

This is the most flexible method for building queries term-by-term.

  • Add Term: Click to add a new row. For each row, enter a search term and select its field tag (e.g., `Title/Abstract`, `MeSH Term`).
  • Combine Terms: For the second term and beyond, a boolean operator (AND, OR, NOT) will appear, allowing you to build complex logic.
  • Build Master Query: Click this button to combine all rows into a single string in the "Current Master Query" text area below.

Managing the Master Query

The "Current Master Query" text area is the central hub. You can directly type or paste queries into it at any time.

  • Control Buttons: Use the small buttons above the text area to Clear, Copy, Paste, Undo, or Redo your changes.
  • Save Query: Click to save the current string to your project's query history for later use.
  • Use for Search: Click to quickly copy the query down to the "Execute Database Search" section.

Part 2: Translating Your Query

Once your Master Query is ready, you can translate it using one of two powerful methods, accessible via tabs.

AI-Powered Translator

This is the recommended method for the highest accuracy and methodological soundness.

  1. Click the button in the Query Builder section.
  2. The AI will automatically detect the syntax of your master query.
  3. It then translates the query into the correct format for all supported databases, intelligently handling complex rules, exceptions (like capitalization on LENS.org), and methodologically appropriate field mappings (like for Web of Science).
  4. Each translated query appears in its own card with highlighted terms and action buttons.

Rule-Based (Regex) Translator

This method uses a predefined set of rules for translation. It is fast and reliable for standard queries.

  1. Select the "Rule-Based (Regex) Translator" tab.
  2. Check the boxes for the databases you want to translate your query for.
  3. Click the button.
  4. The translated queries will appear below in individual cards.

Working with Translated Queries

Whether using the AI or Rule-Based method, each resulting card provides the same powerful controls:

  • Copy: Copies the translated query to your clipboard.
  • Download: Downloads the query as a `.txt` file.
  • Save: Saves this specific translated query to your project's query history, automatically tagging it with the correct database name.

Part 3: Executing Searches and Handling Results

After building and translating your query, you can run it directly against supported databases.

Executing a Database Search

  1. Navigate to the "Execute Database Search" section.
  2. Select your target Database (e.g., PubMed, LENS.org).
  3. Paste your correctly translated Search Query into the text area. (You can use the "Use for Search" or "Copy" buttons from above for this).
  4. Click .
Important: Ensure the query you paste matches the syntax of the database you are searching. A PubMed query will fail on LENS.org, and vice versa.

Viewing and Importing Search Results

After a successful search, a results list will appear.

  • Review Results: The page displays a paginated list of studies found, showing title, authors, and journal information.
  • Select Studies: Use the checkboxes to select the studies you wish to import into your ReviProHub project for screening.
  • Import: Click the button to add the chosen studies to your project's library.

Search Results Summary

For large result sets, the Search Results Summary page provides powerful analytics to help you understand the landscape of the literature and refine your query.

  • Access: After a search, a "View Results Summary" link will appear.
  • Analytics: The summary page displays charts and tables for:
    • Publications by Year
    • Top Journals
    • Top Keywords
    • Publication Types
    • Top Countries of Publication

Part 4: History & Query Management

The "Project Saved Queries" table at the bottom of the page lists all master queries and translated queries you have saved.

  • Load a Query: Click the "Load" button () to place a saved query back into the Master Query box for editing or re-translation.
  • Delete a Query: Click the "Delete" button () to permanently remove a query. This action cannot be undone.