Stephanie Henderson, MLS 
Nursing Liaison Librarian 
University of Kentucky Medical Center Library 

This is an update of a review I wrote that was published in the January 2020 issue of Doody’s Collection Development Monthly.   

Purpose and Audience  

Trip is a free search engine for finding research to support evidence-based practice. The global audience for Trip is clinicians interested in finding these resources quickly and easily. Other users include information specialists, patients, and caregivers.  

Content 

Trip searches many sources to find evidence from systematic reviews, evidence-based synopses, clinical guidelines, and regulatory guidance. The Trip content and how sources are identified for inclusion in Trip has not changed since my last review.  

New guideline content is being continually added to Trip and they are implementing a new guideline grading system. This is crucial for clinicians who rely on these guidelines to make evidence-based decisions. A grading system will help Trip become a robust source for guidelines.  

Trip also started adding new COVID-19 related content in mid-March 2020. As new COVID-19 sources became available, Trip prioritized adding this content into the database. This development is especially useful to clinicians who are trying to make informed decisions regarding patient care.  

The Trip database blog is especially useful for keeping up to date with changes to Trip and future directions.¹ 

Features and Functionality 

Since my last review, Trip released a new interface on July 1, 2021. The result is a clean, modern-looking interface. On the back end, the code was updated to reflect modern web standards. The search algorithm was not changed. The same Google-like search interface is provided with an option for conducting a PICO search. The Advanced and Recent search modes are still only available to the Trip Pro account users. The Search function remains unchanged from the previous review. All the search features Trip users have become accustomed to will continue to work in the new interface. The new website is also mobile friendly and can be used on tablets and mobile devices. 

The toolbar navigation at the top of the page has been redesigned. It now features links to the About, Blog, Why Go Pro, and My Account pages. The How to Use and Contact Us links have been integrated into the footer of the site. The Tour, Latest & Greatest, Evidence Maps, and Q&A have been removed from the site.  

The search results page has the biggest noticeable change. The filters have moved from the right side to the left. Users of other large literature databases will find this update familiar. There are additional icons, such as Full Text, Abstract, Twitter, Bookmark, and Related Articles. Unique features of Trip have been retained such as the evidence pyramid labels for results and user-friendly color-coding system for evidence type. Broken link icons have been integrated for each result so that users can report errors. Sorting options of the results include quality, relevance, date, and popularity. There is also an option to turn the show snippets section on and off.  

In addition to the new interface, LibKey, a Third Iron Product, has been integrated into Trip for one-click, full-text access. This new feature will be a welcome addition to those familiar with the LibKey product. 

Business Model 

The Trip business model has not changed since the last review. They continue to use a Free and Pro service model. The new interface has more advertisements for the Pro subscription, including a large banner on the homepage that you can close and a prominent advertisement in the search results. As Trip continues to update, they will develop new features that will likely be available to Pro subscribers only. Prices have increased modestly from $390 to $13,500. Individual subscription prices have not increased. A visually appealing chart with links to pricing summarizes features available to Free, Pro, and institutional subscribers.²  

Breakthrough 

The Trip database delivers high-quality clinical evidence at your fingertips. The latest updates have improved the search results interface and have made the coding of the database sustainable. The Trip database is continually being updated with new content and it is well maintained. The value of the fast retrieval of evidence-based clinical decision-making literature is what makes Trip a valued resource to users around the globe. Institutions and organizations can use the free version to determine if it is prudent for them to update to a subscription model.  

References  

1. Trip (2022). Trip database blog: Liberating the literature. Retrieved from https://blog.tripdatabase.com/ 

2. Trip. (2022). The difference between free and Pro Trip. Retrieved from https://blog.tripdatabase.com/2021/07/04/the-difference-between-free-and-pro-trip/