Desenvolvimento de software e aplicativo para automatização da criação de estratégias de busca de evidências científicas

Abstract

Scientific research increasingly incorporates tools that allow the researcher to find relevant data for the scientific question proposed. At the top of the evidence hierarchy, there are systematic reviews that have, as one of their conditions for good results, the definition of an appropriate search strategy that will be used to retrieve the relevant studies for the synthesis. We have not found, so far, a mobile digital automation tool that helps in this step. Objectives: Development of software to automate the generation of search strategies, based on the MeSH thesaurus, for repositories of scientific studies in the medical field. Methods: Applied research to develop a new high-tech eHealth and mHealth tool that facilitates the design and modification of high quality search strategies that achieve good results with improved sensitivity and precision. Results: The “Re- QueSt” mobile application was created according to usability norms, it is cross-platform, it has access to MeSH and it uses pre-validated filters, fulfilling the objective. Conclusion: It is possible to automate the construction and editing of search strategies using digital tools, saving time while gaining sensitivity and precision in the retrieved studies for the research. The “ReQueSt” application has limitations of functionality that can be implemented in future updates.