Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice How to search Karen Smith Department of Health Sciences...

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice

Accessing Sources of Accessing Sources of Evidence For PracticeEvidence For Practice

How to searchHow to search

Karen SmithKaren Smith

Department of Health SciencesDepartment of Health Sciences

University of YorkUniversity of York


How to searchHow to search

Objectives:Objectives: Know how to develop simple and effective Know how to develop simple and effective

search terms and strategies to search for search terms and strategies to search for information and apply them to a research information and apply them to a research questionquestion

Have practical experience of using search Have practical experience of using search

strategies and techniquesstrategies and techniques

Know how to carry out a focused searchKnow how to carry out a focused search


Why Learn To Search?Why Learn To Search?

Save time and stress by know how to carry Save time and stress by know how to carry out effective and focused searches by out effective and focused searches by using simple techniquesusing simple techniques

Improve the quality of your reference list Improve the quality of your reference list at the end of your essayat the end of your essay

Acquire a skill that will help you keep up to Acquire a skill that will help you keep up to date as a student and as a qualified nurse date as a student and as a qualified nurse


The QuestionThe Question

What is the question?What is the question?

Break it down into separate termsBreak it down into separate terms

Think about the terms you will be Think about the terms you will be searching withsearching with


Example of a questionExample of a question

How effective is radiotherapy in the How effective is radiotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer?treatment of breast cancer?


Search StrategySearch Strategy

Make a grid and list your search Make a grid and list your search terms if it helps:terms if it helps:

PopulationPopulation InterventionIntervention ComparisoComparisonn

OutcomeOutcome

breast breast cancercancer

radiotheraradiotherapypy

breast breast neoplasm$neoplasm$

irradiationirradiation


Search TermsSearch Terms

There are two different ways to search:There are two different ways to search:

1. Using textwords or keywords1. Using textwords or keywords

2. Using subject headings2. Using subject headings

We will use keyword and subject heading We will use keyword and subject heading searching – your workbook will show you searching – your workbook will show you how to do both.how to do both.


What is a keyword search?What is a keyword search?

Search by a word or phrase you have Search by a word or phrase you have chosenchosen

E.g. breast cancerE.g. breast cancer

The database will be searched for The database will be searched for this keyword and references this keyword and references retrievedretrieved


What is a subject heading What is a subject heading search?search?

Using standard headings provided by Using standard headings provided by the database producerthe database producer

E.g. breast neoplasm will retrieve E.g. breast neoplasm will retrieve references which have been assigned references which have been assigned this headingthis heading


Combining Searches Combining Searches Using“or”Using“or”

Make up a search using the terms in Make up a search using the terms in your grid. Use your grid. Use oror to join all the to join all the similar terms togethersimilar terms together

E.g. E.g. breast cancer breast cancer oror breast neoplasm breast neoplasm radiotherapy radiotherapy oror irradiation irradiation



Search Strategy

irradiation

radiotherapy

or

Intervention

breast neoplasm$

breast cancer

or

Population OutcomeComparison


OR

breast cancer breast neoplasm$

#1 OR #2

#3


OROR

So you have a set of articles which So you have a set of articles which mention eithermention either::

1. breast cancer or breast 1. breast cancer or breast

neoplasm$neoplasm$

2. radiotherapy or irradiation2. radiotherapy or irradiation


Combining Searches Using Combining Searches Using “and”“and”

Then use Then use andand to join different terms e.g. to join different terms e.g.

breast cancer breast cancer oror breast neoplasm breast neoplasm and and

radiotherapy radiotherapy oror irradiation irradiation

The database will then be searched for all The database will then be searched for all these termsthese terms



Search Strategy

irradiation

radiotherapy

or

Intervention

breast neoplasm$ and

breast cancer andor

Population OutcomeComparison


AND

breast cancer or breast neoplasm$AND

radiotherapy or irradiation

radiotherapy or irradiation

#2

breast cancer or breast neoplasm$

#1

#3


ANDAND

So you have a set of articles which So you have a set of articles which mention eithermention either::breast cancer or breast neoplasm$breast cancer or breast neoplasm$

ANDANDradiotherapy or irradiationradiotherapy or irradiation


Combining TermsCombining Terms

If you combine terms using If you combine terms using andand you you will be able to search more will be able to search more accuratelyaccurately

It will allow you to find article on two It will allow you to find article on two or more subjects e.g breast cancer or more subjects e.g breast cancer and and radiotherapyradiotherapy


TruncationTruncation Offered by a lot of databasesOffered by a lot of databases

Enables the searcher to look for variations Enables the searcher to look for variations of a wordof a word

If you wanted to search for references on If you wanted to search for references on hypnosis you want to include hypnotise, hypnosis you want to include hypnotise, hypnotised, hypnotising, hypnotics and US hypnotised, hypnotising, hypnotics and US spelling hypnotizespelling hypnotize


Truncation CtdTruncation Ctd So in Medline to retrieve all words relating So in Medline to retrieve all words relating

to hypnosis type:to hypnosis type: hypno$hypno$

Some databases might use a * instead of $Some databases might use a * instead of $

Take care with this e.g rat$ would retrieve Take care with this e.g rat$ would retrieve rat, rats, ratio, rational, rationale, rate etcrat, rats, ratio, rational, rationale, rate etc


A Simple Search StrategyA Simple Search Strategy

1.1. breast cancerbreast cancer2.2. breast neoplasm$breast neoplasm$3.3. 1 or 21 or 24.4. radiotherapyradiotherapy5.5. irradiationirradiation6.6. 4 or 54 or 57.7. 3 and 63 and 6


What if I have a lot of What if I have a lot of references?references?

Try limiting your searchTry limiting your search


Limiting SearchesLimiting Searches

Use with care, as you can miss Use with care, as you can miss important referencesimportant references

They are visible under the search boxThey are visible under the search box Apply them one at a time so you can Apply them one at a time so you can

see the effect each is having on your see the effect each is having on your referencesreferences


Limiting Searches ctd.Limiting Searches ctd.

Useful as a way of making your Useful as a way of making your results set smaller and more results set smaller and more relevantrelevant

Searches can be limited by:Searches can be limited by: - Methodology- Methodology - Language (e.g. - Language (e.g. English onlyEnglish only)) - Date (e.g. - Date (e.g. 1990 onwards1990 onwards))


Other FeaturesOther Features

Author – useful if you know the name of an Author – useful if you know the name of an expertexpert

Article title – for finding specific articlesArticle title – for finding specific articles

Journal title – you might want to search a Journal title – you might want to search a specific titlespecific title

Just click on the icons to do the aboveJust click on the icons to do the above


Evaluating Results- TitlesEvaluating Results- Titles

Do they look relevant?Do they look relevant?

The right level – too basic or too The right level – too basic or too technical?technical?


Evaluating Results - SourceEvaluating Results - Source

Are they peer reviewed?Are they peer reviewed?

Not academic ie. a magazineNot academic ie. a magazine

Geographically based or a specific Geographically based or a specific languagelanguage


Evaluating Results - DateEvaluating Results - Date

What period does it cover, do you What period does it cover, do you want to limit to a specific period?want to limit to a specific period?

Are the oldest and recent references Are the oldest and recent references relevant?relevant?

Is a specific time period required?Is a specific time period required?


Evaluating Results - Evaluating Results - AbstractAbstract

Is it structured i.e. objectives, Is it structured i.e. objectives, methods, results and conclusion?methods, results and conclusion?

Detailed or brief?Detailed or brief?

How many references are listed?How many references are listed?


Evaluating Results – Other Evaluating Results – Other FieldsFields

PT or DT – Publication Type or PT or DT – Publication Type or Document TypeDocument Type

is it a review article/journal is it a review article/journal article/book review etc.?article/book review etc.?

Pages – how many, is the article long Pages – how many, is the article long or just one page?or just one page?


Locating ArticlesLocating Articles You can find them through the database – You can find them through the database –

links are provided to full text where it is links are provided to full text where it is available to the Universityavailable to the University

You can find them through the Library You can find them through the Library CatalogueCatalogue


Locating Articles Ctd.Locating Articles Ctd.

If you find an article using the above If you find an article using the above methods it can be requested by methods it can be requested by using the Interlending and Document using the Interlending and Document Supply ServiceSupply Service

http://www.york.ac.uk/services/librarhttp://www.york.ac.uk/services/library/guides/interlending.htmy/guides/interlending.htm


Searching Top TipsSearching Top Tips

Prepare your search Prepare your search beforebefore you do it: you do it:

1.1. Break down your search into elements Break down your search into elements

(population, intervention, condition, (population, intervention, condition,

outcome)outcome)

2.2. Identify search terms for each elementIdentify search terms for each element

for both keyword and subject heading for both keyword and subject heading

searchsearch


Searching Top Tips CtdSearching Top Tips Ctd

3.3. Search for each element using Search for each element using OROR

(this will always increase the number of(this will always increase the number of

references found) references found)

4.4. Combine each element using Combine each element using ANDAND

(this will reduce the number of (this will reduce the number of

references found)references found)

5.5. Consider using relevant limitsConsider using relevant limits

6.6. If in doubt ask a librarian.If in doubt ask a librarian.


Session 6bSession 6b

Practice searchingPractice searching

Complete the workbook provided Complete the workbook provided

Then :Then : Log into the VLE and answer the Log into the VLE and answer the

question, email the search to question, email the search to yourself and forward a copy to yourself and forward a copy to [email protected]@york.ac.uk

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice How to search Karen Smith Department of Health Sciences...

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