literature searching tips and tricks
DESCRIPTION
This presentation is geared towards nursingTRANSCRIPT
Literature Searching Tips and
Tricks
Rebecca Raszewski, MS, AHIPAssistant Information Services Librarian & Assistant
ProfessorMarch 28, 2013
What I Will Cover Today
• Tips on Approaching a Literature Search• Searching the Databases, CINAHL and MEDLINE
via PubMed• Getting Help
Tips on Approaching a Literature Search
What Kind of Question do You Have?
• Diagnosis, Etiology/Harm, Prognosis, Therapy (Prevention, Quality Improvement)
• PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) o T (Timing)
• John Hopkins EBP Question Development Toolo https://employee.hospital.uic.edu/Nursing/SitePages/EBPC.aspx
Write Out Your Topic• What would be the ideal title for your article?• Write up an abstract or a thesis statement• Jane-Journal/Author Name Estimator
o http://www.biosemantics.org/jane/
What are the Words You Need to Search?
• Look for the Subject Headingso Special Vocabulary that can be found in most databaseso One word or phrase is used to describe a particular topic
• Ex. Hypertension represents high blood pressure, Neoplasms represents cancer, etc.o CINAHL-CINAHL Headingso MEDLINE via PubMed-MeSH
• Searching for a particular phrase may be too limiting
Example: End of Life Care
• Hospice Care• Hospice and Palliative Nursing• Life Support Care• Palliative Care• Terminal Care
Topic: Decision Making in NICU
Regarding Withdrawing Life
Support
• Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing
• NICU• Pediatric Advanced
Life Support• Resuscitation• Resuscitation Orders• Treatment Withholding
• Decision Making• Decision Making,
Clinical• Decision Making,
Ethical• Decision Making,
Family• Decision Making,
Organizational
Which Resources Do You Need to Search?
• Nursing Research and Subject Guideo http://researchguides.uic.edu/nursing
• Health Sciences Research and Subject Guideso http://researchguides.uic.edu/cat.php?cid=5873
• Databases A-Z Listo http://researchguides.uic.edu/databases
• Grey Literature• Websites, etc.
Keep Track of Your Searches
• Create an Excel Spreadsheeto databases searched, dates, words used, limits, number of results, and
number of relevant results
• Create an account within each databaseo Search alert
Searching the Databases: CINAHL & MEDLINE via PubMed
Searching the Databases
• CINAHL Plus with Full Texto Nursing and Allied Health database with over 2.8 million citations
• MEDLINE via PubMedo Biomedical database with over 22 million citationso Available for free but must go through UIC Library to access PubMed
• MEDLINE via Ovid
Off Campus Access• Need to get a ACCC account• Same username (NETID) for hospital but
password will be different• This account allows you to access:
o Library resources from off campuso Library computers and access to $15.00 for printing every semestero UIC Wireless
1. Do a subject heading search for the first part of your research project
2. Do a keyword search for the first part of your research project
3. Do a subject heading search for the second part of your research project
4. Do a keyword search for the second part of your research project
5. Combine your search sets together with OR, AND, etc.
6. Apply Limits to your search
Steps for Searching
A subject heading is a special vocabulary that is used within most databases to best describe an article’s content
Look in the database to find where the subject headings are located
Not every database will have the same exact subject headings
1. Do a Subject Heading Search
• A keyword search will double check if you have found relevant articles
• Searches the author, titles, abstracts, subject headings, full text (if available), etc.
• Use truncationex. Nurs*
2. Do a Keyword Search
3. & 4. Do a Subject and Keyword
Search for the Next Topic
• Use OR Before AND• OR increases your results while AND decreases
your results
5.
Combine Your Searches Together with OR, AND, etc.
• Always apply limits at the end• Age Groups• Gender• Language• Year of Publication
o CINAHL has a research limit. MEDLINE via PubMed does not.
6. Apply Limits to Your Search
Tips on Using Certain Limits
• Exclude MEDLINE Records• Full Text Limit• Geographic Location-not every database will let
you do thiso CINAHL has a Journal Subset Limit but it does not work the way you
thinko PsycINFO and Scopus will let you limit by location
• Limiting to Research Articleso CINAHL has Research limito Otherwise limit to publication typeo Another option is methodology (PsycINFO)
1. Do a subject heading search for the first part of your research project
2. Do a keyword search for the first part of your research project
3. Do a subject heading search for the second part of your research project
4. Do a keyword search for the second part of your research project
5. Combine your search sets together with OR, AND, etc.
6. Apply Limits to your search
Steps for Searching
After You Have Done Your Limits-Now
What?• Read the articles’ abstracts from your results.
o Johns Hopkins EBP Research Evidence Appraisal Doc
• See if the articles are available as full text• Request through InterLibrary Loan any articles
you cannot find online (Free!)
Keep This in Mind
http://library.downstate.edu/EBM2/2100.htm
Create an Account within the Databases
• Save searches• Set up search alerts• Share citations or searches
o CINAHL-My Foldero MEDLINE via PubMed-My NCBI Account
RefWorks• Need to create an account
o Use UIC email addresso http://researchguides.uic.edu/refworks
• Manages citations• Creates bibliography in APA format• Share citations with other people
Additional Databases• MEDLINE via Ovid• PsycINFO• Scopus• Sociological Abstracts• Web of Science
• Cochrane Library• EMBASE• ERIC
Getting Help
Getting Help• Make an appointment with me
o Call Me: 312-996-2759o Email Me: [email protected]
• Health Sciences Tutorials & Instructional Guideo Database Tutorialso Evidence Based Practice Tutorial
• IM: uiclibrarian • CALL: Reference Desk: 312-996-9163
What Can I Do for You?
• Buy Books/Recommend Purchases for the Library• Library 101• Individual or group sessions on library-related
topics• Literature Searches• Create Online Guide for your department or unit
o APN Guide
What I Covered Today• Tips on Approaching a Literature Search• Searching the Databases, CINAHL and MEDLINE
via PubMed• Getting Help
