Information retrieval: What options are there if access to the main sources of scientific literature is no longer possible?
How could scientific information retrieval for evidence-based assessments of medical interventions be conducted if the US PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov databases became inaccessible? In a joint paper, the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), and Cochrane Germany explore this question in order to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
The paper was prompted by decisions made by the new US administration this year, which could have far-reaching consequences for health research not only in the United States, but also in Germany and Europe. This is because the most important databases, which have previously been freely accessible to the global scientific community, may in future be subject to a fee or become unavailable.