Prepared by: Zhanaibekovyna Nabathan

Searching and using Checked by: Tilebaeva Lyazzat

the literature as
evidence.

2022 Citation styles APA

Literature searches should be systematic, 2022
transparent and reproducible to minimise

'dissemination biases'. These may affect the

results of reviews and include publication bias

and database bias.

A flexible approach to the search for evidence

should be adopted, guided by the subject of the

question and type of evidence sought. When

the guideline is an update, the approach can

also be informed by searches for the existing

guideline and subsequent surveillance review.

 • tailoring the search approach to the eligibility or

inclusion criteria of the review question, as specified in

the review protocol

• selecting appropriate sources according to the eligibility

or inclusion criteria of the review question, as specified

in the review protocol

• using additional search techniques, such as citation

searching, as appropriate

• continuous review of how best to find evidence and

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where.
Searching includes:
Search protocols

Search protocols pre‑define how the evidence is

identified and provide a basis for developing the search

strategies.

Search protocols should include the following elements:

• search approach, tailored to the review question

• sources to be searched (see the section on sources) 2022

• plans to use any additional or alternative search

techniques, when known at the protocol

development stage, and the reasons for their use

• limits to be applied to the search.

 For most searches there will be key sources that should be prioritised, and other

Sources potentially relevant sources that could be considered. It is important to ensure

adequate coverage of the relevant literature and to search a range of sources, but

there should be clear reasons, with only those likely to yield relevant results
Searches should include a mix of bibliographic
included.
databases, websites and other sources

depending on the subject of the review

question and the type of evidence sought.

 Searches should be limited to studies reported in

English. When there are likely to be animal studies

Limits and filters
in the evidence base, these can be excluded from

the search results in some databases.

Limiting searches by date will depend on the topic and the nature of the

evidence base (for example, when most of the research was published).

When the guideline is an update, searches may be limited by date, but

only if appropriate (for example, the inclusion and exclusion criteria for

the update are the same as for the existing guideline).

The clearest identifying characteristic of

any citation style is how the citations in

the text are presented. There are three

main approaches:
 Identifying search terms
Search strategies should usually consist of a

combination of subject headings and

'free‑text' terms from the titles and abstracts

of relevant studies. When identifying subject

headings, variations in thesaurus and indexing

terms for each database should be taken into

account: for example, MeSH (Medical Subject

Headings) in MEDLINE, Emtree in Embase. Not

all databases will have indexing terms and

some databases will contain records which

have not yet been indexed. Also, not all search

concepts will have a subject heading, so free-

text terms should also be used.

Sources

• Parenthetical citations: You include identifying details of the

source in parentheses in the text—usually the author’s last

name and the publication date, plus a page number if relevant

(author-date). Sometimes the publication date is omitted

(author-page).

• Numerical citations: You include a number in brackets or in

superscript, which corresponds to an entry in your numbered

reference list.

• Note citations: You include a full citation in a footnote or

endnote, which is indicated in the text with a superscript

number or symbol.
 Citation styles also differ in terms of

how you format the reference list or

bibliography entries themselves (e.g.,

capitalization, order of information,

use of italics). And many style guides

also provide guidance on more

general issues like text formatting,

punctuation, and numbers.

APA

APA Style is defined by the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American

Psychological Association. It was designed for use in psychology, but today it’s widely

used across various disciplines, especially in the social sciences.

Sometimes, the choice of citation style may be left up to you. In those cases, you can base your
decision on which citation styles are commonly used in your field. Try reading other articles from
your discipline to see how they cite their sources.

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WAR
 Thank you

for your attention