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Table 5 Databases included and their individual and combined recall of references

From: Database selection and data gathering methods in systematic reviews of qualitative research regarding diabetes mellitus - an explorative study

Combinations of two databases

References found (n)

Overall recalla (%)

Median recallb (%)

Minimum recallc (%)

100.0% recalld (%)

Number of SRs that searched the database.

n (% of the 26 SRs)

GSc + EMB

497

99.2

100.0

87.5

84.6

1 (3.8)

GSc + SCO

492

98.2

100.0

84.6

88.5

0 (0)

GSc + WoS

491

98.0

100.0

87.5

76.9

0 (0)

GSc + ML/PM

490

97.8

100.0

85.7

80.8

1 (3.8)

GSc + CIN

490

97.8

100.0

84.6

76.9

1 (3.8)

GSc + PSI

487

97.2

100.0

84.6

73.1

1 (3.8)

ML/PM + CIN

483

96.4

100.0

75.0

69.2

20 (76.9)

CIN + SCO

482

96.2

100.0

77.8

65.4

3 (11.5)

EMB + CIN

481

96.0

100.0

75.0

65.4

9 (34.6)

EMB + SCO

477

95.2

98.6

75.0

50.0

1 (3.8)

ML/PM + SCO

475

94.8

100.0

75.0

57.7

4 (15.4)

WoS + SCO

470

93.8

95.1

75.0

38.5

2 (7.7)

ML/PM + EMB

467

93.2

95.5

62.5

46.2

12 (46.2)

EMB + WoS

464

92.6

92.8

62.5

34.6

6 (23.1)

PSI + SCO

464

92.6

95.1

75.0

38.5

3 (11.5)

CIN + WoS

461

92.2

93.2

58.3

34.6

6 (23.1)

ML/PM + WoS

455

90.8

100.0

62.5

53.9

8 (30.8)

EMB + PSI

455

90.8

91.9

62.5

26.9

7 (26.9)

ML/PM + PSI

445

88.8

96.7

62.5

50.0

12 (46.2)

CIN + PSI

411

82.0

83.3

25.0

19.2

10 (38.5)

PSI + WoS

409

81.6

83.3

50.0

19.2

4 (15.4)

Combinations of three databases

ā€ƒGSc + ML/PM + EMB

499

99.6

100.0

87.5

92.3

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒGSc + EMB + CIN

499

99.6

100.0

92.3

92.3

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒGSc + EMB + SCO

498

99.4

100.0

87.5

88.5

0 (0)

ā€ƒGSc + EMB + PSI

497

99.2

100.0

87.5

84.6

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒGSc + EMB + WoS

497

99.2

100.0

87.5

84.6

0 (0)

ā€ƒML/PM + EMB + CIN

495

98.8

100.0

80.0

80.8

9 (34.6)

ā€ƒGSc + ML/PM + CIN

494

98.6

100.0

89.8

88.5

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒGSc + CIN + WoS

494

98.6

100.0

91.8

84.6

0 (0)

ā€ƒGSc + CIN + SCO

494

98.6

100.0

84.6

92.3

0 (0)

ā€ƒGSc + WoS + SCO

494

98.6

100.0

87.5

88.5

0 (0)

ā€ƒGSc + ML/PM + WoS

493

98.4

100.0

87.5

84.6

0 (0)

ā€ƒGSc + ML/PM + SCO

493

98.4

100.0

87.5

88.5

0 (0)

ā€ƒEMB + CIN + WoS

493

98.4

100.0

83.3

76.9

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒML/PM + CIN + WoS

492

98.2

100.0

83.3

80.8

6 (23.1)

ā€ƒGSc + PSI + SCO

492

98.2

100.0

84.6

88.5

0 (0)

ā€ƒGSc + CIN + PSI

491

98.0

100.0

84.6

80.8

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒGSc + PSI + WoS

491

98.0

100.0

87.5

76.9

0 (0)

ā€ƒML/PM + CIN + SCO

490

97.8

100.0

85.7

80.8

3 (11.5)

ā€ƒGSc + ML/PM + PSI

490

97.8

100.0

85.7

80.8

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒEMB + CIN + SCO

489

97.6

100.0

75.0

73.1

5 (19.2)

ā€ƒCIN + WoS + SCO

487

97.21

100.0

77.8

65.4

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒML/PM + CIN + PSI

486

97.0

100.0

75.0

76.9

10 (38.5)

ā€ƒML/PM + EMB + SCO

483

96.4

100.0

75.0

61.5

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒEMB + CIN + PSI

483

96.4

100.0

75.0

69.2

6 (23.1)

ā€ƒCIN + PSI + SCO

483

96.4

100.0

77.8

65.4

3 (11.5)

ā€ƒML/PM + WoS + SCO

480

95.8

100.0

75.0

65.4

2 (7.7)

ā€ƒEMB + PSI + SCO

478

95.4

98.6

75.0

50.9

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒEMB + WoS + SCO

478

95.4

98.6

75.0

50.0

0 (0)

ā€ƒML/PM + EMB + WoS

476

95.0

100.0

62.5

57.7

6 (23.1)

ā€ƒML/PM + PSI + SCO

476

95.0

100.0

75.0

57.7

3 (11.5)

ā€ƒML/PM + EMB + PSI

474

94.6

100.0

62.5

53.9

7 (26.9)

ā€ƒPSI + WoS+ SCO

471

94.0

95.1

75.0

38.5

1 (3.8)

ā€ƒEMB + PSI + WoS

468

93.4

94.0

62.5

38.5

3 (11.5)

ā€ƒCIN + PSI + WoS

466

93.0

95.7

58.3

42.3

3 (11.5)

ā€ƒML/PM + PSI + WoS

459

91.6

100.0

62.5

53.9

4 (15.4)

  1. CIN CINAHL, EMB Embase, GSc Google Scholar, ML/PM MEDLINE/PubMed, PSI PsycINFO, SCO SCO, WoS Web of Science
  2. aOverall recall: The total number of included references retrieved by the databases divided by the total number of included references retrieved by all databases
  3. bMedian recall: The median value of recall per systematic review
  4. cMinimum recall: The lowest value of recall per systematic review
  5. d100.0% recall: The percentage of reviews for which the database or database combination retrieved all included references