Evidence Synthesis Methods Interest Group

  • 1.  ProQuest databases not running complex searches

    Posted 20 days ago

    This is the second or third review I've been working on where I've run into this issue. Other databases–PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL (EBSCOhost)–all run my search just fine, but both ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global and APA PsycINFO give me this message: "Unable to complete your search. Please try again."

    I reached out to ProQuest about this, and they essentially told me that I was using too much truncation and suggested to search for terms without quotation marks so it automatically pulled in variations such as singular and plural and British and American spelling. They also didn't clarify exactly what the truncation limit is.

    Obviously, this is a problem for systematic searching. I am already planning to ask if my institution can switch to EBSCOhost for APA PsycINFO because I'm having such a hard time searching ProQuest. EBSCO's open dissertations is about a third of the size of ProQuest dissertations & theses, though, so I am hesitant to leave that one out.

    Has anyone else encountered this? Do you have any workarounds beyond what the rep suggested or alternatives to ProQuest? 



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    Jules Bailey
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  • 2.  RE: ProQuest databases not running complex searches

    Posted 2 days ago

    I had a colleague run into this issue. I don't have an answer, but I will note that PQDT can be searched on Web of Science. 



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    Joseph Rowe-Morris
    Multidisciplinary Librarian
    University of Texas at Arlington
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  • 3.  RE: ProQuest databases not running complex searches

    Posted 2 days ago

    Hi, when I was having this issue, I didn't notice that truncation was the issue, but rather it seemed that using controlled vocabulary on multiple lines was breaking my search (I also found that the thesaurus just quit adding the terms to my search lines after a couple tries). I ended up just searching one ProQuest database for that review (without controlled vocabulary) and the rest on WoS and EBSCO. Sorry I can't be of more assistance. 



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    Samantha Streeter
    Multidisciplinary Librarian
    University of Texas At Arlington
    She/Her/Hers
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    Original Message