Tip #53: "Smart Quotes" aren't so in ClinicalTrials.gov

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ClinicalTrials.gov requires phrases be enclosed in quotation marks. Without quotes, it defaults to Boolean OR and finds any study that contains either word. For example, placebo procedure returns over 15,000 records, while "placebo procedure" results in only 39 records. 

A database requiring a phrase to be enclosed in quotation marks is commonplace. However, in ClinicalTrials.gov, smart quotes are not recognized as quotation marks. Many searchers, including myself, build searches in Microsoft Word, which defaults to autocorrecting plain (or straight) quotes (" ") to smart (or curly) quotes (‟ ”).

In the example below, the first phrase uses straight quotes and the second phrase uses smart quotes:

"placebo procedure"

 “placebo procedure”

If you copy and paste searches directly from Microsoft Word, it's most likely that your search will include smart quotes. ClinicalTrials.gov will ignore your smart quotes and treat your phrase as a Boolean OR. In other words, you will be searching for either word instead of a phrase.

To get around smart quotes in ClinicalTrials.gov, you can:

  • Type the quotation marks directly into search box
  • Replace the smart quotes in the search box by individually selecting and retyping the quotation marks
  • Change the settings in Microsoft Word to prevent autocorrecting to smart quotes. 
To change your Microsoft Word settings to turn smart quotes on or off:
  1. On the File tab, select Options. In the dialog box, select the Proofing tab in the sidebar, then click the button for AutoCorrect Options.
  2. In the AutoCorrect dialog box, do the following:
    1. Select the AutoFormat As You Type tab, and under Replace as you type, select or clear the "Straight quotes" with “smart quotes” check box.
    2. Select the AutoFormat tab, and under Replace, select or clear the "Straight quotes" with “smart quotes” check box.
  3. Select the OK button.
To learn more, including how to modify quotes settings in PowerPoint, see: Smart quotes in Word and PowerPoint - Microsoft Support. Note that Microsoft software updates may again default to replacing straight quotes with smart quotes, so you may need to change the setting again in the future.

That's all I've got.

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