Inclusion of a search filter on this site is not an endorsement of its validity or a recommendation for its use by the editors of this site, by the InterTASC Information Specialists SubGroup or by the (UK) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). For suggestions on the appraisal of filters see the ISSG Search Filter Appraisal Checklist.
This page shows publications that have reviewed search filter performance and individual search filters. It includes filters relating to, for example, but not limited to, black and minority ethnic groups, Hispanic / Latinx people, indigenous people (from various countries), immigrants, people with disabilities, women’s health, and sexual orientation. Please note that additional filters may be available on the Geographic Filters page.
Please note that other filter sites/filter collections may have relevant filters for this topic.
Harding L, Marra CJ, Illes J. Establishing a comprehensive search strategy for Indigenous health literature reviews. Syst Rev 2021; 10(1): 115
Ioerger, M., et al. Developing a systematic search strategy related to people with disability: A brief report testing the utility of proposed disability search terms in a search about opioid use. Disabil Health J 2019;12(2): 318-322.
This compares the Walsh strategies (see below) to a different approach.
Database indexing changes over time and new vocabulary may be introduced. With older filters, please check the subject indexing to ensure that the subject indexing is still current and, if not, consider whether new vocabulary may need to be added to the filter. Please note that if filters are amended, the performance may change from that published in the original articles and the filter should be reported as amended from the original filter.
University of Alberta Library. Health Sciences Search Filters. Indigenous peoples. [EBSCO]
A series of filters for indigenous peoples of Canada, the USA, and other countries worldwide
Campbell, SM. Filter to Retrieve Studies Related to Homelessness in the EBSCO CINAHL Database. Geoffrey & Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta. Rev. June 14, 2022.
Library and Knowledge Service for NHS Ambulance Services in England. Search blocks for Prehospital and Emergency Care Filters for LGBTQ+ populations [2021] [PubMed]
US Medical Library Association Latinx Caucus. Hispanic/Latinx Search Hedges. [2021]
Fédération des milieux documentaires (FMD(3S)) / Federation of documentary circles / Canadian Health Libraries Association Quebec Chapter. (The filters can be copied and pasted from the site into CINAHL.)
Library and Knowledge Service for NHS Ambulance Services in England. Search blocks for Prehospital and Emergency Care Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) [EBSCO]
University of Alberta Library. Health Sciences Search Filters. Indigenous peoples. [worldwide 2023]
Campbell SM. Filter to Retrieve Studies Related to Homelessness in the Cochrane Library Database. Geoffrey & Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta. Rev. February 24, 2022.
US Medical Library Association Latinx Caucus. Hispanic/Latinx Search Hedges. 2021
University of Alberta Library. Health Sciences Search Filters. Indigenous peoples. [Ovid]
A series of filters for indigenous peoples of Canada, the USA, and other countries worldwide
Campbell, SM. Filter to Retrieve Studies Related to Homelessness in the OVID EMBASE Database. Geoffrey & Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta. Rev. February 23, 2022. [Ovid]
US Medical Library Association Latinx Caucus. Hispanic/Latinx Search Hedges. 2021 [Elsevier]
Library and Knowledge Service for NHS Ambulance Services in England. Search blocks for Prehospital and Emergency Care Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) [Ovid]
Fédération des milieux documentaires (FMD(3S)) / Federation of documentary circles / Canadian Health Libraries Association Quebec Chapter. (The filters can be copied and pasted from the site into Ovid Embase.)
Immigrants search filter [2018]
OVID Pregnancy search filter. Both broad and focused [undated]
Library and Knowledge Service for NHS Ambulance Services in England. Search blocks for Prehospital and Emergency Care Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) [Ovid]
Campbell, SM. Filter to Retrieve Studies Related to Homelessness in the OVID Global Health Database. Geoffrey & Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta. Rev. April 1, 2021. [Ovid]
Schilperoort, H, Hickner, A, Morgan-Daniel, J, Parker, R. Development and validation of LGBTQIA+ search filters: Report on process and pilot filter for queer women. Journal of the Medical Library Association. 2025;113. {PubMed]
University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library filters. [Ovid]
Ovid Broad filter for race/ethnicity (Updated 16 December 2024)
Ovid US Blacks/African Americans (Updated 19 December 2024)
Ovid US Hispanic/Latino/Latina people (Updated 25 March 2024)
Ovid US Native/indigenous people (Updated 18 June 2024)
PubMed Broad filter for race/ethnicity
PubMed US Blacks/African Americans (Updated 4 March 2024)
PubMed US Hispanic/Latino/Latina people (Updated 25 March 2024)
PubMed US Native/indigenous people (Updated 6 October 2024)
Wafford Q E, Miller C H, Wescott A B, Kubilius R K. Meeting a need: development and validation of PubMed search filters for immigrant populations. JMLA 2024;112(10). [PubMed]
Two filters (sensitive and specific) are here
University of Alberta Library. Health Sciences Search Filters. Indigenous peoples. [Ovid]
A series of filters for indigenous peoples of Canada, the USA, and other countries worldwide
Campbell SM. Filter to Retrieve Studies Related to Homelessness in the OVID MEDLINE Database. Geoffrey & Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta. Rev. January 4, 2021. [Ovid]
Library and Knowledge Service for NHS Ambulance Services in England.
Filters for LGBTQ+ populations [2021] [PubMed]
Black and minority ethnic (BAME) [EBSCO]
Canada's Drug Agency. Filter for indigenous peoples of Canada [Ovid]. Last updated 23 October 2023.
Medical Library Association LA Latinx Caucus. Hispanic/Latinx Search Hedges. 2021 [PubMed, MEDLINE via OVID]
Ioerger, M., et al. Developing a systematic search strategy related to people with disability: A brief report testing the utility of proposed disability search terms in a search about opioid use. Disabil Health J 2019;12(2): 318-322.
Fédération des milieux documentaires (FMD(3S)) / Federation of documentary circles / Canadian Health Libraries Association Quebec Chapter. (The filters can be copied and pasted from the site into PubMed.)
Sexual minorities search filter [2019] [Ovid, PubMed]
Indigenous people search filter [2018] [EBSCO, Ovid and PubMed]
Pregnancy and perinatal search filter [2018] [Ovid]
Immigrants search filter [2018] [Ovid, PubMed]
Launch the filter on PubMed
Tieman JJ, Lawrence MA, Damarell RA, Sladek RM, Nikolof A. LIt.search: fast tracking access to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health literature. Aust Health Rev. 2014; 38(5):541-5. [PubMed]
The PubMed search can be launched from here
Cooper C, Levay P, Lorenc T, Craig G M. A population search filter for hard-to-reach populations increased search efficiency for a systematic review. J Clin Epidemiol. 2014; 67 (5):554-559.
Walsh E S, Peterson J J, Judkins D Z. Searching for disability in electronic databases of published literature. Disabil Health J 2014; 7(1): 114-118.
Campbell S, Dorgan M, Tjosvold L. Creating provincial and territorial search filters to retrieve studies related to Canadian indigenous peoples from Ovid MEDLINE. J Can Health Libr Assoc. 2014;35(1):5-10.
OVID pregnancy search filter. Both broad and focussed [undated]
OVID women's health search filter [undated]
PsycInfo
University of Alberta Library. Health Sciences Search Filters. Indigenous peoples. [worldwide 2023]
Campbell, SM. Filter to Retrieve Studies Related to Homelessness in the OVID PsycInfo Database. Geoffrey & Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta. Rev. February 13, 2022.
US Medical Library Association Latinx Caucus. Hispanic/Latinx Search Hedges. 2021 [EBSCOHost, ProQuest]
Scopus
University of Alberta Library. Health Sciences Search Filters. Indigenous peoples. [worldwide 2023]
US Medical Library Association Latinx Caucus. Hispanic/Latinx Search Hedges. 2021
Web of Science
Campbell, SM. Filter to Retrieve Studies Related to Homelessness in the Web of Science databases. Geoffrey & Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta. Rev. April 1, 2021.
US Medical Library Association Latinx Caucus. Hispanic/Latinx Search Hedges. 2021