Protocol
Keep the exact query that produced the evidence
A conclusion without its search trail ages badly.
When it fits
- A research result may need to be reproduced, updated or audited later.
When to avoid it
- Do not turn lightweight low-stakes lookups into unnecessary documentation overhead.
Why it matters
Save the information source, exact query or strategy, date, filters and result boundaries for consequential research. Store enough context to rerun the search after a few months or when the decision is challenged. This makes research maintainable rather than a one-time browser session.
Steps
- Another person can reproduce the retrieval logic without reconstructing it from your final citations.
An example
Record the PubMed query and date behind a health-literacy card so future evidence refresh can rerun the same search before expanding it.
Check your result
Another person can reproduce the retrieval logic without reconstructing it from your final citations.
Keep this limit in mind
- Do not turn lightweight low-stakes lookups into unnecessary documentation overhead.
Connected ideas
Useful withPreserve the transformation chain with the artifact
Evidence and sources
PRISMA-S was created because literature searches are often reported with insufficient detail for reproducibility.
Full PRISMA-S reporting is designed for systematic reviews, not every quick workplace lookup.
PRISMA-S: an extension to the PRISMA Statement for Reporting Literature Searches in Systematic Reviews · Background and reporting checklist
Cochrane recommends documenting the databases, exact search strategies, dates and selection process for reproducible evidence retrieval.
The amount of documentation should match the stakes and need for later replay.
Chapter 4: Searching for and selecting studies · Documenting and reporting the search process