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Systematic Reviews: Step 6: Updating a systematic review search

Subject Guide prepared by QUB Subject Librarians that will help you decide if a systematic review is right for your project, and guide you through the systematic review process
Updating a systematic review search

At some point, you might need to update your systematic review search to include any new research published since your original search was run. This is important for a few key reasons:

  • New Studies: New research might have been published that could change or add to your findings.
  • Better Methods: Research methods are always improving, so newer studies might be more reliable or useful.
  • Updated Guidelines: Clinical guidelines can change over time, so it’s important your review reflects the most current practices.
  • Missed Studies: Your original search might have missed some relevant studies, and updating your search can help fill those gaps.

The sections below cover how to update your search by applying a 'date added' limit to identify new evidence, and how to use EndNote to help organise and manage your references. 

Re-running database searches

Systematic review searches can be updated by re-running your search strategy with specific 'date added' limits to capture new evidence. This ensures that the results reflect only those studies added to the database since the initial search, so that you would then only need to screen just those newly identified records.

Databases commonly used for systematic review searches usually provide syntax to limit your search to a particular 'date added' range.  Please note that applying such limits may also find older evidence which has been added to the database retrospectively.  The 'date added' limits for databases commonly used for systematic review searches are listed below.

Use ‘Date Created’ (dc) in the format: YYYYMMDD-YYYYMMDD to limit a search.
Example: 

limit 1 to dc=20250101-20250630 

This limits line 1 of the search to just those records added between the 1st January 2025 and the 30th June 2025. 

Use ‘Entry Month’ (EM) in the format: YYYYMMDD-YYYYMMDD to limit a search.
Example:

S1 AND EM 20250101-20250630 

This limits line 1 of the search to just those records added between the 1st January 2025 and the 30th June 2025.

Use ‘Load Date’ (ORIG-LOAD-DATE) in the format:  > YYYYMMDD to limit a search to records added after a particular date.
Example:

ORIG-LOAD-DATE > 20250101

Entering this text in Scopus's advanced document search returns a full list of all records added after the 1st January 2025.  You can then combine this set of records using AND, with a line in your search under 'Search History' > 'Combine Queries'.

Use ‘Entry Date’ ([EDAT]) in the format: YYYY/MM/DD to limit a search.
Example:

#1 AND ("2025/01/01"[EDAT] : "2025/06/30"[EDAT])

This limits search results in line 1 in PubMed's advanced search to just those records added between the 1st January 2025 and the 30th June 2025.

In Web of Science's advanced search, use 'Index Date' (LD) in the format LD=(YYYY-MM-DD/YYYY-MM-DD) to limit a search.  Example:

#1 AND LD=(2025-01-01/2025-06-30)

This limits line 1 of the search to just those records indexed between the 1st January 2025 and the 30th June 2025. 

Using EndNote

Reference management tools such as EndNote are useful for working with references when updating a systematic review search. These tools can help compare new search results with previously screened studies, identify duplicates, and organise updated search results into groups. 

The paper below provides detailed information on using EndNote for this purpose.

  • Bramer, W., & Bain, P. (2017). Updating search strategies for systematic reviews using EndNote. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 105(3), 285-289. doi:10.5195/jmla.2017.183 Link 
Useful links:
  • Cumpston, M. & Flemyng, E. (2023) Chapter IV: Updating a review. In: Higgins, J.P.T., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M.J. & Welch, V.A. (eds.) Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 6.5. Cochrane, 2024. Available at: https://www.cochrane.org/authors/handbooks-and-manuals/handbook/current/chapter-iv (Accessed: 30 June 2025). Link
  • Garner, P. et al. (2016) ‘When and how to update systematic reviews: consensus and checklist’, BMJ, 354, i3507. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i3507.  Link