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Table 1 Results of the literature search, and exclusions from the selected sample

From: Questions asked and answered in pilot and feasibility randomized controlled trials

MEDLINE/EMBASE search

Number of papers

1

pilot.ti

40741

2

feasibility.ti

16179

3

1 or 2

56430

4

limit 3 to randomized controlled trial

7553

5

limit 4 to english language

7398

6

limit 5 to humans

7348

7

limit 6 to yr = "2000 - 2009"

5965

8

remove duplicates from 7

3581

RANDOM SAMPLE OF PAPERS

 

Papers randomly selected from 8

75

EXCLUDED PAPERS (n = 25)

 

Remove cross-over trials (n = 14)

61

Remove trials with only one arm (n = 1)

60

Remove historically controlled trials (n = 2)

58

Remove non-randomized trials (n = 2)

56

Remove letters (n = 1)

55

Remove brief reports (n = 1)

54

Remove study protocols (n = 1)

53

Remove review articles (n = 1)

52

Remove articles where 'pilot' or 'feasibility' in the trial did not relate to the trial (n = 2)

50