This document provides guidance on conducting an effective literature search for research. It discusses developing a clear research question and identifying relevant keywords and synonyms. It explains how to structure searches using Boolean logic operators like AND, OR and NOT to search efficiently. Databases like PubMed and Web of Science are recommended for searches. Managing references with EndNote Web and obtaining full-texts through the library catalog are also covered. Tips are provided on an iterative search process and critically evaluating search results.

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Diving for pearls…..
How to get the most from your
literature search.
Isla Kuhn
Reader Services Librarian
Medical Library

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Google will give me everything I need
(if/when wikipedia fails me)
A. True
B. False
True
False
0%0%

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Compiling the bibliography to my
dissertation will be the easy bit
A. True
B. False
True
False
0%0%

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a) introducing the research topic, with an
explanation of why the subject was chosen for
study,
b) reviewing relevant literature and showing
how this has informed the research issue,
c) explaining how the research has been
designed and why the research methods being
used have been chosen (methodology),
d) outlining the findings,
e) analysing the findings and discussing them
in the context of the literature review,
f) concluding, and
g) references

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a) introducing the research topic, with an
explanation of why the subject was chosen for
study,
b) reviewing relevant literature and showing
how this has informed the research issue,
c) explaining how the research has been
designed and why the research methods being
used have been chosen (methodology),
d) outlining the findings,
e) analysing the findings and discussing them
in the context of the literature review,
f) concluding, and
g) references

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introducing the research topic
• clarifying the question
• setting parameters
reviewing relevant literature
• Identifying keywords and synonyms
• Structuring your search strategy with boolean logic
• Identify relevant sources (and then search them!)
References
• DON’T plagiarise!
• Don’t lose marks through sloppy references

8. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
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introducing the research topic
• clarifying the question
• setting parameters
reviewing relevant literature
• Identifying keywords and synonyms
• Structuring your search strategy with boolean logic
• Identify relevant sources (and then search them thoroughly!)
References
• DON’T plagiarise!
• Don’t lose marks through sloppy references

9. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
MEDICAL LIBRARY
introducing the research topic
• clarifying the question
• setting parameters
reviewing relevant literature
• Identifying keywords and synonyms
• Structuring your search strategy with boolean logic
• Identify relevant sources (and then search them!)
References
• DON’T plagiarise!
• Don’t lose marks through sloppy references

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Why reference?
• Showing how widely you’ve read around the subject;
• Demonstrating your understanding of the context and research up to
this point;
• Highlighting points of view that differ to yours;
• Backing up your own points of view.
• http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2012/07/24/need-references/

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From Topic to Results
• Topic -> question -> keywords/synonyms
Effect of chocolate in prevention of heart disease
...”Is consuming chocolate effective in reducing risk of heart disease?” ….
Themes / PICO
…………………keywords???.... synonyms???........................

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Is consuming chocolate effective in reducing the risk of heart disease?
P –problem / patient?
I – Intervention?
C – Comparison?
O – Outcome?
Synonyms?
From Topic to Results

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Is consuming chocolate effective in reducing the risk of heart disease?
P – heart disease
I – chocolate
C –
O – risk
From Topic to Results

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Is consuming chocolate effective in reducing the risk of heart disease?
P – heart disease / heart failure / cardiovascular disease / coronary disease
I – chocolate / cocoa / cacao
C –
O –risk / prevention /
From Topic to Results

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Which will give you useful/relevant hits
(a SPECIFIC search)?
A. coronary disease AND chocolate
B. chocolate OR heart failure
C. coronary disease NOT chocolate
D. risk AND chocolate
A. B. C. D.
0% 0%0%0%

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AND – to narrow the search by combining different topics
eg
“physiotherapy” and “stroke”
Both terms must be present in the results.
From Topic to Results:
Boolean Logic

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Which will give you most hits
(a SENSITIVE search)
A. coronary disease AND heart
failure
B. coronary disease OR heart
failure
C. coronary disease NOT heart
failure
A. B. C.
0% 0%0%

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From Topic to Results:
Boolean Logic
OR – to broaden your search, by combining similar terms
eg
“exercise” or “physical activity”
Either term can be present in the resulting set of articles.

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Which will give you best hits
(most SPECIFIC & most SENSITIVE search)?
A. coronary disease AND chocolate
AND risk
B. (coronary disease OR heart
failure) AND chocolate AND risk
C. chocolate AND risk AND
coronary failure
D. risk AND (chocolate OR cocoa)
AND (coronary disease OR
heart failure)
A. B. C. D.
0% 0%0%0%

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From Topic to Results:
Boolean Logic
NOT – to restrict your search so that it does not contain a particular term
eg
chocolate not confectionary
The first, but not the second, term must be present.

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Is consuming chocolate effective in the prevention of heart disease?
heart disease OR heart failure OR cardiovascular disease OR coronary disease
AND
chocolate OR cocoa OR cacao
AND
risk OR prevention
From Topic to Results

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Is consuming chocolate effective in
the prevention of heart disease?
1. heart disease
2. heart failure
3. cardiovascular disease
4. coronary disease
5. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4
6. risk
7. prevention
8. 6 or 7
9. chocolate
10. cocoa
11. cacao
12. 9 or 10 or 11
13. ????

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• Databases
• Web of science
• Pubmed
• ???
• EndnoteWeb (to manage your references)
• LibrarySearch (to get hold of the articles)
From Topic to Results

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http://wok.mimas.ac.uk
http://www.myendnoteweb.com
http://tinyurl.com/campubmed
From Results to References

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Searching – Do’s & Don’ts
• Don’t try to do the whole search in one line
• Don’t imagine that your first attempt will get all the articles you need
• Don’t give up!

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Searching – Do’s & Don’ts
• Do think of alternative ways of talking about your topic
• Do learn from your hits and your misses
• Do remember that you still have to critically appraise each article
• http://www.twitjc.com/ Twitter Journal Club
• http://www.casp-uk.net/ CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme)
• Do ask for help

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http://tinyurl.com/ps7ltcu
http://tinyurl.com/whatdiduthink

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Help!
Isla Kuhn
Reader Services Librarian
Medical Library
Box 111
Addenbrooke’s Hospital
email: ilk21@cam.ac.uk
phone: (01223 3) 36750
web: http://library.medschl.cam.ac.uk
Thank you.