Redefining searching in non-medical sciences systematic reviews: The ascendance of Google Scholar as the primary database

Abstract

Systematic Reviews (SR) are fundamental in evidence-based medicine, traditionally dominated by the medical field. However, their application in non-medical disciplines especially social sciences is increasing. Compared to traditional databases this study explores the feasibility of using Google Scholar as the primary search index for SRs in social sciences. An empirical comparative analysis was conducted on 16 Non-Medical Sciences Systematic Reviews (NMSSR), seven of which are published; all others are in progress or in submission, comparing article yields from traditional databases and advanced Google Scholar searching. Traditional databases in this study yielded 70,011 after deduplication (136,277 before deduplication) while advanced Google Scholar searches yielded 50,793 articles. All articles included in the final datasets of the 16 SRs (1116) were found in the advanced Google Scholar searches, indicating its comprehensive coverage. This suggests that Google Scholar can potentially serve as the primary database for NMSSRs, offering comprehensive coverage by reducing database discrepancies, and duplicated resources while advancing transparency and reproducibility. Challenges with search precision and download limitations warrant consideration for its optimal use in systematic reviews.