Literature Search Planning Worksheet

1. Briefly describe your search topic / question

2. Use the form below to plan your search strategy by identifying the keywords / concepts for your search topic and providing alternative terms

Concept 1

Concept 2

Concept 3

Concept 4

Alternative Terms *

Narrower terms – to try instead for more specific searching

Combine Using

‘AND’

Combine

Using

‘OR’

Combine Using

‘AND’

Combine Using

‘AND’

Combine

Using

‘OR’

Combine

Using

‘OR’

Combine

Using

‘OR’

2

Please consider the following when formulating your alternative terms:

Database subject headings – Psycinfo and SSCI have the most useful ones (check the subject heading’s scope note for coverage, scope and definition)

Synonyms

Acronyms

Differences in terminology, spelling etc (e.g. across national boundaries, US/UK)

Old and new terminology

Narrower terms

Lay and medical terminology

Alternative terms (e.g. obesity – overweight, weight loss, Body Mass Index, BMI etc)

Truncation (e.g. depress* will search for depressed, depression, depressive etc) But be aware you don’t want it to pick up so much that it’s useless.

3. Where appropriate, clarify any required ‘limits’ (inclusion criteria) for your search

Search Limit

Details

Publication Year(s) (Year / range of years)

Age Group(s)

Gender

Language(s)

Peer Reviewed

Publication Types

Others