Finding studies for inclusion in systematic reviews of interventions for injury prevention – the importance of grey and unpublished literature

Abstract

In comparison to reviews covering other aspects of the CIG's scope, we have found that the CIG's injury prevention reviews have a higher proportion of included studies sourced from the grey and unpublished literature. In issue 3, 2007, of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, there are 24 reviews of interventions for injury prevention published by the CIG. These reviews examine a total of 481 included studies, with 137 (28.5%) of these having originated from the grey or unpublished literature. The percentage of such included studies ranges from zero to 85%, with six5-10 having more than 50% of their included studies sourced from grey or unpublished literature: these six are all reviews of interventions for preventing road traffic crashes.