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Introduction to searching
- 1. Finding the evidence : Advanced literature searching Sarah Robinson Academic Liaison Librarian s.robinson@uos.ac.uk @libraryhamster
- 2. Aim: • To understand how to create a strategy to search for articles (create a search strategy) • To apply your search strategy in a database to search for articles • To give you the opportunity to practice searching for articles Session aim
- 3. Creating your search – identifying keywords, techniques to use in your search Databases to search – finding them Searching Saving and documenting your search Session outline
- 4. • Research methodologies include cohort studies, RCTs (Randomised control trials), experiments • Data collection methods include questionnaires, observations, tests • Keywords such as statistics, validity, risk, ratios, sampling, scores • If in doubt remember quant = quantity Quantitative – how can you tell? Look for clues
- 5. • Will be about people’s experiences, perceptions or attitudes • Research methodologies include grounded theory, ethnography, phenomenology • Data collection methods include semi- structured interviews, focus groups, narratives, diaries, observation or case studies • Likely to use smaller sample sizes • Remember qual = quality Qualitative research – how can you tell?
- 6. Defining your search terms •Identify the key concepts (main themes) in your topic or research question. Select words or phrases that describe these. •Keep your search clean and lean, try and avoid the use of vague or unnecessary words and phases which do not describe your key concepts e.g. • The role of • The impact of • The link between • Problems with • The affect on • The implications of Tip! Each search string must relate to one concept to avoid muddled search results
- 7. • Write out your research question • Identify your keywords Research question The experiences of fathers in caring for premature babies Identify the key concepts
- 8. Identify the key concepts The experiences of fathers in caring for premature babies Experiences AND Fathers AND Premature
- 9. For each concept many try to think of as many similar or related words as possible Example – my search includes the topic of diet Any of the following keywords could be used Find alternative search terms Diet Dietary Food Meals Malnutrition Nutrition Nourishment Eating Malnourishment Tip! Use the online thesaurus to help with this
- 10. For each concept many try to think of as many similar or related words as possible Example – my search includes the topic of improvement Any of the following keywords could be used Find alternative search terms Improvement Better Enhance Improve Quality Satisfaction Upgrade Tip! Use the online thesaurus to help with this
- 11. To search comprehensively, you should use various types of search terms. For example Synonyms and antonyms Synonyms (similar words) For Head Also use skull OR cranial For dying Also use end of life OR palliative For anxiety Also use stress OR burnout Antonyms (opposite words) For success Also use failure For nutrition Also use malnutrition For exercise Also use inactivity OR sedentary
- 12. To search comprehensively, you should use various types of search terms. For example Acronyms and abbreviations Acronyms and abbreviations Use MRI For Magnetic resonance imaging Use QOL For Quality of life Use EOL For End of life Alternative spellings Use organisation OR organization Use pediatrics OR paediatrics
- 13. Gut Microbiota OR Gut bacteria OR gut flora OR gut bacteria OR gut microbiome Finding alternative search terms – example
- 14. Find alternative search terms The experiences of fathers in caring for premature babies Experiences OR life OR lives OR living AND Fathers OR paternal OR dad OR dads AND Premature OR neonatal OR preterm OR pre-term
- 15. * Searches for variants of the stem of a word and will increase you search results Obse* finds: Obese, Obesity Metabol* finds: Metabolism, Metabolic, Metabolise Scien* finds: Science, Sciences, Scientific Apply techniques to make searching more effective - Truncation
- 16. • Boolean operators are useful for broadening or narrowing your search results and to link keywords together OR broadens (or widens your search) by finding any word use it within your search string group your search words together on the same topic using OR AND narrows by finding all words Use it to combine your searches most databases have AND set up for you Apply techniques to make searching more effective - Boolean operators Tip: it is good practice to use upper case for Boolean operators
- 17. Fish AND Chips – Both things together, in terms of searching your article will have both search terms Fish OR Chips – One or the other, in terms of searching your article will have one or the other but not necessarily both Apply techniques to make searching more effective - Boolean operators Tip: it is good practice to use upper case for Boolean operators
- 18. Which of your topics can be truncated? Which search terms are grouped together using OR? Where do you use AND? Activity
- 19. Apply truncation and search operators The experiences of fathers in caring for premature babies Experience* OR life OR lives OR living AND Father* OR paternal* OR dad OR dads AND Prematur* OR neonat* OR preterm* OR pre-term*
- 20. Phrase search examples Example search Search results White adipose tissue Words may appear in different search fields (e.g. title and abstract) so may be unrelated “white adipose tissue” White adiopose tissue (no other variations will be found)
- 21. A primary research paper will usually describe itself as a study Other useful terms relating to primary research include: • Trials • Findings • Qualitative • Quantitative • Sample • Participants • RCTs • Focus groups Tip! Avoid using the word research as this is too generic or studies which is more likely to find systematic reviews Filtering to primary research
- 22. A primary research paper will usually describe itself as a study Other useful terms relating to primary research include: • Trial* OR Find* OR quali* or quanti* or sample* or participant* or RCTs or focus group* Tip! Avoid using the word research as this is too generic or studies which is more likely to find systematic reviews Filtering to primary research
- 23. Limit your search results using the refine options offered by the database (these vary) • Year of publication – normally the last 5-10 years, or since the latest guidance on the topic was published. • Academic or peer-reviewed journals – in order to exclude articles from practice journals • Language – to exclude articles in languages other than English. Refine your search results – inclusion and exclusion criteria
- 24. Found too many results? • Re-run your key search string as words in the title • Experiment with this as you may need to use the title for one of your search strings and leave the others as keyword searches • Remove truncation on the most common variant of a word, eg. For old* use older • Add in an extra search string
- 25. Found too few results? • Check your spelling • Add extra search terms to your search string e.g. parent* OR mother OR father • Remove the least well defined concept string (to widen out your search) • Are you searching in the right database?
- 26. Limits • Limit to a date range • Limit to English language • Limit to Academic Journal/Peer review
- 27. • Use the A-Z of e-journals link to search for individual titles • You can usually browse all issues or search within a journal • Useful for accessing journals not included in standard databases Searching individual journals
- 28. If you can’t obtain the article from any of our sources we can order it for you. • You will need to fill in a resource request form, this must be signed and returned to the library either in person or by post (they can’t be scanned and emailed) • Allow 5 working days for documents to be sent to you Resource requests
- 29. Book a one-to-one tutorial Use the booking page on the learning services website Small groups can be booked by numbers need to be advised of first if possible Skype appointments possible Support with your question or choice of articles – please see your tutor Follow up support for your literature search
- 30. Thank you - questions
Editor's Notes
- The Aim of this session is to introduce searching to you, by the end of the session you should be able to create a search strategy apply it to a database and search for articles. The session will also outline how to document or record your search The workshop has been designed around your assignment and what you need to do for that which is
- The Aim of this session is to introduce searching to you, by the end of the session you should be able to create a search strategy apply it to a database and search for articles. The session will also outline how to document or record your search The workshop has been designed around your assignment and what you need to do for that which is
- Quantitative – related to quantity – related to measuring through numbers Seeks answers to research questions through measurements Methodologies used might include cohort studies – following a group of people through something over a period of time. Randomised control trials – normally associated with treatment and its effectiveness Methods of data collection to look out for include questionnaires, observations and tests In published articles look out for keywords – statistics, validity, risk, ratios, sampling or scores.
- Qualitative = quality related to assessing or measuring through experiences Seeks to answer research questions through experience Methodologies used might include grounded theory – offering a systematic approach to research where the researcher aims to develop theory that can explain behaviour – often related to predictions about behaviour Ethnographic research design – originally used by anthropology – understanding other points of view Phenomenology – or the lived experience of individuals Methods of data collection to look out for include questionnaires, observations and tests In published articles look out for keywords – statistics, validity, risk, ratios, sampling or scores.
- Once you have identified the topic that you want to investigate it is helpful to write out your research question and identify key words that can be used for searching Even if you only have a vague idea about what you want to research it can be helpful to write down what it is that you are looking for Supposing my research question is about the experiences of fathers in caring for premature babies my keywords can be identified as experiences, Fathers, premature babies
- Our aim is to search a database comprehensively, in order to do this we need to consider alternative words for your concepts this is because not everyone refers to the same thing in the same way, people use different words to describe the same thing. We can’t guarantee that different articles are going to talk about the same thing using the same words There is a helpful online thesaurus on the Advanced searching page in the nursing guide online – the thesaurus can be found in step 3 developing your search terms. Use this to find alternative keywords to common subjects.
- Our aim is to search a database comprehensively, in order to do this we need to consider alternative words for your concepts this is because not everyone refers to the same thing in the same way, people use different words to describe the same thing. We can’t guarantee that different articles are going to talk about the same thing using the same words There is a helpful online thesaurus on the Advanced searching page in the nursing guide online – the thesaurus can be found in step 3 developing your search terms. Use this to find alternative keywords to common subjects.
- Further examples of alternative keywords are synonyms – similar words to describe the same thing Or Antonyms – opposite words for something – this can sometimes yield results
- Remember to think about acronyms or abbreviations As well as alternative spelling – especially around USA and UK spelling
- Using truncation will broaden your search so that you find more results Where you put the * symbol will result in a database finding anything after the * (see examples)
- If your initial search comes back with too many results we need to add studies into the mix, Add this into the search Study OR Trials OR findings OR Qualitative OR Quantitative OR sample OR Participants OR RCTs OR Focus Groups
- Add this into the search Study OR Trials OR findings OR Qualitative OR Quantitative OR sample OR Participants OR RCTs OR Focus Groups
- There are a number of ways to limit your search – using inclusion and exclusion criteria We can limit to year of publication – or a date range We can limit to Academic or peer-reviewed journals, this will exclude articles from practice journals so we know we are getting academic literature We can also limit to articles that are in English This should help to refine your search further
- What you can do if you find too many results
- What to do if you have too few results
- What to do if you have too few results
- Resource request allowances L4 5 requests countersigned by the tutor L5 5 requests free of charge L6 10 request free of charge Taught post grad 10 requests Research post grad 20 requests Staff 20 requests
- Resource request allowances L4 5 requests countersigned by the tutor L5 5 requests free of charge L6 10 request free of charge Taught post grad 10 requests Research post grad 20 requests Staff 20 requests