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Thai Cochrane Network contribution on handsearching |
Background:
In 2002 Thai Cochrane Network (TCN) was established with the assistance from the UK Cochrane Centre, to encourage utilization of research syntheses from Cochrane Library and to facilitate production of systematic reviews with the Cochrane Collaboration. In 2004 TCN with the support of research fund from Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University had another contribution to Cochrane collaboration activity on hand searching.
Objective:
To search articles of clinical trials published in Thai medical journals.
Methods:
We have contacted to Cochrane CENTRAL Coordinator at US Cochrane Center, Brown University to get a list of Thai Medical Journals not yet included in the CENTRAL database. Then we registered the intention to do hand searching journal with the New England Cochrane Center at Providence, using the Journal Hand Search Registration Form. We used the Cochrane Hand Search Manual as a guide and training material to train our team in hand searching.
Results:
We have a list of 19 Thai medical journals to perform hand searching. We retrieved the Hand Search Manual and trained our team in August 2004. We began to do hand searching afterward. We collected the hard copy of the journals from the Faculty of Medicine’s Library and Central Library of Khon Kaen University. We hand searched for RCTs and CCTs from journals. Up to January 2005 we completely hand searched first four journals including: Asian Pacific Journal of Allergy and Immunology (1983-2003), Journal of Environmental medicine (Journal Occupational Medicine) (1999-2003), Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand (1970-2003), Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health (1980-2004). There were 375 RCTs, 208 CCTs.
Conclusions:
TCN has conducted hands searching for RCTs and CCTs published in selected Thai Medical Journals following Cochrane Collaboration Hand Search Manual.