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Appraisal of: "Cooper, C., Lorenc, T., & Schauberger, U. (2021). What you see depends on where you sit: The effect of geographical location on web-searching for systematic reviews: A case study. Research Synthesis Methods, 12(4), 557–570."
Appraisal of: "Cooper, C., Lorenc, T., & Schauberger, U. (2021). What you see depends on where you sit: The effect of geographical location on web-searching for systematic reviews: A case study. Research Synthesis Methods, 12(4), 557–570."
Reviewer(s):
Alan Lovell
Deirdre Beecher
MS Copilot
Full Reference:
Cooper, C., Lorenc, T., & Schauberger, U. (2021). What you see depends on where you sit: The effect of geographical location on web-searching for systematic reviews: A case study. Research Synthesis Methods, 12(4), 557–570. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1485.
Short description:
This study investigates whether the geographical location of a researcher affects the results returned by Google searches used in systematic reviews. Using a virtual private network (VPN), the authors conducted identical searches for the medical technology Dasatinib from 12 different countries. They compared the items returned and their page ranks across locations. Data were extracted independently and organized by country and rank.
The study found that geographic location does influence Google search results. Of the 43 items identified, only 19 were common across all countries, while 24 were missed in some locations. Although one randomized trial consistently appeared first in all searches, the rank of other items varied. These findings suggest that researcher location should be reported in systematic reviews using web-searching, and that stopping rules based on search depth may be unreliable due to geographic variability.
Limitations stated by the author(s):
The study is based on a single case (Dasatinib), limiting generalizability.
Only one search engine (Google) was tested.
The study did not explore other sources of variation such as user identity or language settings.
The VPN may not perfectly replicate actual geographic browsing conditions.
Limitations stated by the reviewer(s):
The study lacks statistical analysis beyond descriptive comparisons.
It does not assess the impact of geographic variation on study inclusion or review outcomes.
The use of a single search term and intervention may not reflect broader web-searching practices.
The implications for systematic review methodology are discussed but not empirically tested.
Study Type:
Brief Methodological Case Study
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