Development and Functionality of the ABC Tool (Automated Boolean Composer) to Simplify and Standardize Search Strategy Construction in Bibliographic Databases

The quality and comprehensiveness of search strategies are critical determinants of the rigor and reliability of systematic reviews and other forms of evidence synthesis. However, constructing effective Boolean strategies is complex, time-consuming, and requires specialized expertise. This article describes the development and functionality of the Automated Boolean Composer (ABC) Tool, an automated strategy generator integrated into the advanced search interfaces of Epistemonikos’s bibliographic databases. Built upon the Epistemonikos Evidence Taxonomy (EET), which is a curated hierarchical vocabulary, the tool provides more than 9,500 pre-developed Boolean search strategies covering a wide range of health-related concepts. Each strategy is based on rigorously tested Boolean logic and validated using relative recall against systematic review datasets to ensure high sensitivity and efficiency. The tool automatically inserts these pre-formulated strategies into the search environment as editable drafts and offers features such as real-time term suggestions, a taxonomy-based term browser, and automated combination line generation. By reducing workload, minimizing human error, and supporting users with varying levels of expertise, the ABC Tool has the potential to substantially enhance the efficiency, reproducibility, and methodological quality of evidence synthesis workflows.