ReadMe Introductory file to accompany the Search Strategies data file, Search strategies and methods to identify interventions for reducing the use of restrictive practices in children and young people’s institutional settings Search methodology 11 academic databases were searched in June 2019 for studies looking at child restraint in a variety of settings. We updated the searches in January 2020 in all but the Education Abstracts and Scopus databases. Analysis of the studies selected for inclusion from the 2019 searches showed that none had come exclusively from these two databases. The search strategies looked for search terms for the concepts:child or child behaviours, restraint practices or named programmes and a variety of institutional, healthcare and educational settings. The search was limited by the publication date 1989 and we excluded restraint studies relating to road safety or traffic incidents. Subject headings and free text words were identified for use in the search concepts by the Information Specialist and project team members. Further terms were identified and tested from known relevant papers. Searches were not limited to language. The search strategy was compiled in the Ovid Medline database by Donna Irving and Judy Wright, adapting a search strategy from a similar review [1] and checking the strategy's performance against identified known relevant studies. The search strategy was refined with the project team until the results retrieved reflected the scope of the project. The final Medline search was adapted to run across the other databases. All searches were peer-reviewed by an Information Specialist using the PRESS checklist [2]. The databases searched were: * Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA)? (ProQuest) 1987 to 24-01-2020 *British Nursing Index (HDAS) 1992 to 24-01-2020 *CINAHL (EBSCO) 1981 to 30-01-2020 *Child Development and Adolescent Studies (EBSCO) 1927 to 24-01-2020 *Criminal Justice Abstracts (EBSCO) 1830 to 30-01-2020 *Education Abstracts (H.W. Wilson) (EBSCO) 1983- present - June 14, 2019 *Embase Classic+Embase (Ovid) 1947 to 2020 January 21 *ERIC - Education Resources Information Center (EBSCO) 1966 to 30-01-2020 *Ovid MEDLINE(R) and Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily 1946 to January 20, 2020 *PsycINFO (Ovid) 1806 to January Week 2 2020 *Scopus (Elsevier B.V.) 1823 to 13/06/19 Grey literature searches were conducted in August 2019 and updated in January 2020 in the following websites and databases: * Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality *AGENDA, the alliance for women & girls at risk *Article 39 *Barnardos *British Association of Social Workers *British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) *British Society of criminology *Challenging Behaviour Foundation *Childrens Society *Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) *Foundation for Professionals in Services to Adolescents *Google *HM Inspector of Constabulary and HM Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services *HM Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales *HM Inspectorate of Probation *Howard League *INQUEST *MENCAP *National Children’s Bureau *National Police Library *National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children *National Youth Work *Prison Reform Trust *Prisons and Probation Ombudsman *ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I (Proquest) 1743 to 24-01-2020 *Restraint reduction network *SAFE crisis management *SCIE *Secure Children’s Homes / Secure accommodation network *Social Care Online (SCIE) 1980 – 28-01-2020 *Twitter *Young Minds *Youth Justice Board Search strategies for all databases and sources are described in a full and reproducible format in the associated search strategy data file. Records found before and after duplicate removal: The database searches identified and downloaded 20123 records which reduced to 16515 once duplicates were removed. Grey literuature searches identified 8796 sources and discounted 2240 during online screening, leaving 6556 which were imported into EndNote and then reduced to 3419 once duplicates aree removed. The AUHE Information Specialist’s deduplication method [3] was used to removed duplicates. References 1) Baker J, Berzins K, Canvin K, Benson I, Kellar I, Wright J, Lopez RR, Duxbury J, Kendall T, Stewart D. 2021. Non-pharmacological interventions to reduce restrictive practices in adult mental health inpatient settings: the COMPARE systematic mapping review. Health Services and Delivery Research. 9(5) 2) McGowan J, Sampson M, Salzwedel DM, Cogo E, Foerster V, Lefebvre C. PRESS peer review of electronic search strategies: 2015 guideline statement. Journal of clinical epidemiology. 2016 Jul 1;75:40-6. 3) AUHE Information Specialists. 2016. Checking for Duplicates Guidance. https://information-specialists.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/71/2019/03/Duplicate_checking_guidance.pdf [accessed 03/08/2021]