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1966 and all that—when is a literature search done?

Systematic, thoughtful, and responsible retrieval of information relevant to the questions addressed by a clinical trial is an essential element of clinical research. Literature searches identify current knowledge and focus the problems and possible hazards to be addressed; a quick search of a single database is unlikely to result in a trial design that will be approved and is likely to not protect the interests and rights of research subjects. This chapter begins with an example of the fatal outcome of an inadequate literature search and then introduces resources important in clinical research trial design.

We present content, organization, and unique features of resources to identify biomedical journal literature (MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase) and broader scientific fields and citation searching (Web of Science, Scopus); also resources supporting clinical decision-making, drug development, bioinformatics, and clinical trials. Content includes both subscription-based and free databases, as well as characteristics of Internet search engines. Related topics and emerging issues (precision medicine, data management, bibliometrics, citation managers, search strategies) are discussed.