The purpose of the Query Builder is to provide an environment to:

1. Review the automatically-built structure of the query code from Search Exploration
2. Test the query on PubMed to see all records returned (as well as the total number of records).
3. Append any further strings to your query (such as standard negations regarding study type or date).

You can get to Query Builder from the AutoLit Menu or directly from Search Exploration.

Auto-Generating will pull the full, updated query from Search Exploration.

Note: After the first time you proceed from Search Exploration to Query Builder, changes to Search Exploration will ONLY be populated to the Query Builder if you select “Auto-generate”. This is to prevent accidental overwriting of your Query Builder content.

In the Query Editor, you can add, edit, or delete rows of content. The Parentheses and Boolean operators (AND/OR/NOT) are provided in their own rows, and any edits you make will be saved toward your final search. You can also attach Annotations to any row, which will be saved in Query Builder to provide context and history of the rationale for your search construction.

If you select Test on PubMed, it will open a new tab running your query directly on PubMed. Use this feature to ensure that the structure of your query functions (e.g. parenthesis matching) and view the number and content of your search results.

When finished reviewing your query, select Finalize to send your query forward to your final Literature Search!