You may have noticed on this blog that I’ve been busy with a number of things just recently, but I’m pleased to report that we’ve been continuing to add useful features to 2dSearch, and one of them in particular deserves a shout out here.
As you may know, many professions need to perform searches that are comprehensive, accurate and repeatable, using strategies that search across multiple databases with platform-specific syntax and operators. For example, a recruiter looking to fill a particular data science role may want to search LinkedIn, Stackoverflow, Github, and other social forums to find suitable candidates. Likewise, a clinician or information professional performing a systematic literature review may need to search numerous databases such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PyscINFO, and more. In each case, their search query has to be manually ‘translated’ to the syntax and user interface of each database. All of this is tedious, error-prone, and inefficient.
So I am delighted this week to announce support for automated search strategy translation. This means that in addition to natively searching Google, Bing, Google Scholar, PubMed, Epistmonikos and TRIP database, you can now use 2dSearch to search:
- Ovid
- Cochrane Library
- Embase
- Web of Science
- CINAHL
- PyscINFO
- Scopus
- and various other sources.
You still get all the transparency and reproducibility of the 2d visual framework, but on top of that you can now create, optimize and debug your searches and have them translated as required. And all of this for free! There’s lots more details in the Medium post, but for now, take a look at 2dSearch, try a few searches for yourself, and let us know what you think.
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