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After searching one database, return to the list of relevant databases that you chose in Choose database(s). For most research projects, it is recommended to search at least two relevant databases, e.g. MEDLINE and Embase. For systematic reviews and some other forms of evidence synthesis, you should search 3+ relevant databases.

Depending on the nature of your research, you may also wish to look for other forms of evidence, such as clinical practice guidelines or government reports.

Other tools -- such as citation mapping tools and AI search tools -- can help you to check for additional relevant papers which may not have been found via your database search(es).

Key steps at this stage

  • Search additional databases relevant to your topic
  • Search for other forms of evidence, where relevant
  • Complete citation searching, including via citation mapping tools, to discover additional relevant papers -- Intermediate / Advanced
  • Explore AI search tools to uncover further studies on your topic -- Intermediate / Advanced

Why search multiple databases?

Databases differ in their coverage -- they cover different journals, publication years, and disciplines. Some databases have very extensive coverage, but even those contain only a portion of the wider health literature. There is no single database that covers all papers ever published. 

Because of this, we must search more than one database in order to avoid missing important relevant studies.

How to search multiple databases

Once you have developed an effective search for one database, you can then translate (adapt) that search strategy so that it works in a different database.

Translation is necessary because databases vary in terms of the subject headings and commands that they use. Unfortunately, it is not possible to simply take your MEDLINE search and run it in Embase without adapting it first!

Watch the short videos below to learn how to translate between key databases available at Monash Health.

How to translate from MEDLINE to Embase/Emcare [8 mins 26 secs]

This video demonstrates how to translate an Ovid MEDLINE search to Ovid Embase or Emcare.

How to translate a search to the Cochrane Library database [7 mins 13 secs]

Easy step-by-step demo on how to take your MEDLINE search and translate it across to the Cochrane Library database in minutes.

Key tips

  • Search MEDLINE via our Ovid search platform. This makes it much easier to translate the search to other Ovid databases. At Monash Health, MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, and PsycInfo are all available via Ovid.
  • Good news: keywords don't need to be translated! You can use the same keywords across any database or search platform.
  • Always check to see if there are any relevant systematic reviews in Cochrane Library. 
  • For advice, contact the Library team or book a research consultation with a librarian using the research support request form.
  • Refer to our quick reference table below to see which shortcuts and symbols (aka search operators and syntax) are used in different databases.

Library support

Need help translating your search from one database to another? You can request research support from the Library, including a one-on-one consultation and/or feedback on your search. 

Request research support

Other forms of evidence

Non-academic evidence -- commonly known as grey literature -- can complement the peer-reviewed journal articles that you find during your literature search. 

Grey literature is produced by non-traditional publishers and is published largely online. Grey literature includes:

  • government reports and policies
  • conference presentations and papers
  • issues papers and white papers
  • research and industry reports
  • theses and dissertations
  • trial data, statistics and surveys

Should you expand your search to grey literature?

Grey literature is an essential consideration for comprehensive and systematic searches. Grey literature reduces publication bias -- where studies with significant results are over-represented in scholarly publications -- by providing a broader perspective. 

"... the inclusion of grey literature in meta-analyses has been shown to change the results
of whether interventions are considered effective or not"  (McAuley et al., 2000)


It is particularly important to consider grey literature when:

  • Developing or updating a clinical procedure or guideline
  • Conducting a systematic review and/or meta-analysis

Other instances in which you would undertake a grey literature search include:

  • Planning service improvements
  • Investigating new technologies or therapies
  • Research questions which require a more holistic perspective, incorporating government policy, publications by consumer groups etc.
  • Emerging research topics, as grey literature tends to be more current than traditional research
  • As a source of raw data to expand the primary information available for your research

How to search for grey literature

By its nature, grey literature is beyond the reach of citation databases such MEDLINE and PubMed. Visit our Grey Literature Guide for more information on how to conduct a grey literature search. The Library also runs a regular webinar on grey literature -- view the webinar calendar for upcoming sessions.

Grey Literature Guide

Webinar Calendar

What is citation searching?

Citation searching involves using one or more highly relevant papers in order to identify other relevant papers. Papers identified via citation searching may or may not have been found via your database search(es).

How to do citation searching

To complete a basic citation search, you can:

  1. Keep track of any key papers which are highly relevant to your topic.
  2. Check the references listed at the end of your key papers. Pay attention to the title of each article and potentially the journal in which it was published. Note down any listed references which sound relevant, and look them up online (e.g. via PubMed) for closer inspection.
  3. Check for articles which have cited your key papers. This can be done via online citation mapping tools such as those listed below, as well as via Google Scholar (search for the article title and then click "Cited by" from the results page). 

More advanced methods -- sometimes called citation mapping -- can identify related papers by parsing citation data and drawing connections.

How to use citation searching as part of a literature search

  • At the start of research
    • to quickly gain an overview of topic and identify gaps in research
  • After traditional database searching
    • to export reference lists and cited by papers from key evidence
    • to find evidence outside of traditional databases 

Citation mapping tools

A number of online tools are available to assist with citation searching or citation mapping. Citation mapping tools:

  • Are digital tools to search, or scrape, citation data from open access platforms/aggregators such as Lens.org, Crossref, OpenAlex etc. 
  • Use origin, or 'seed' papers to find other relevant papers by making connections between them.
  • Graphical representation of relationships between papers.

Library webinar on citation mapping tools

This 30-minute webinar provides more information about citation searching, along with demonstrations of key citation mapping tools. 

Watch the recording

Citation mapping tools - Decision matrix

Use the citation mapping tools decision matrix to choose the tool that sits your needs. The Library has graded these tools based on ease of use and functionality. 

Additional information

What are AI search tools?

  • AI search tools use machine learning or large language models (LLMs) to discover articles and generate summaries.
  • AI tools can use a variety of different freely available sources to provide an answer. These sources can vary from unverified blogs to published medical literature.
  • It's important to confim that citations and summaries generated from AI search tools are accurate.

How to use AI search tools as part of a literature search

  • At the start of research
    • to quickly gain an overview of topic and identify gaps in research.
  • After scholarly database searching
    • to export reference lists and cited by papers from key evidence.
    • to find evidence outside of scholarly databases. 

Library webinar on AI search tools

This 30-minute webinar provides more information about AI search tools, along with demonstrations of key tools. 

Watch the recording

AI Search Tools - Decision matrix

Use the decision matrix to choose the AI search tool tool that suits your needs. The library has graded these tools based on ease of use, functionality, and reliability of the sources. Click the image to view a full-size PDF version.

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