Literature Searching Skills: Finding the Evidence Library and Information Service Level 5 Education Centre

Evidence Based Practice

Why?

Searching the evidence What search tools do you use? The NHS subscribes to eight healthcare databases Access via http://www.evidence.nhs.uk

Aims and Objectives Why do we need to search for literature? How to formulate a clinical question How to develop a search strategy Where to look for the best quality evidence Access to e-resources

Formulate an answerable clinical question Spotting the PICO in critical appraisal, is there a focussed question?

Example Does handwashing among healthcare workers reduce hospital acquired infections? P - hospital acquired infection I – handwashing C – no handwashing / other solutions, masks etc O – reduced infection MESH - hand hygiene; hand disinfection; cross infection CINAHL – handwashing; cross infection

Formulate an answerable clinical question Patient or Population Intervention or Exposure Comparisons (if required) Outcomes WHO?  WHAT? WHAT? Terms etc

How to search the databases Be aware:  In many, but not all, databases, the AND is implied.  For example, Google automatically puts an AND in between your search terms. Though all your search terms are included in the results, they may not be connected together in the way you want. For example, this search:  college students test anxiety  is translated to:  college AND students AND test AND anxiety. The words may appear individually throughout the resulting records. You can search using phrases to make your results more specific. For example:  "college students" AND "test anxiety". This way, the phrases show up in the results as you expect them to be.

Database Tips Truncat* & “Bool* Operat*” - *, ADJ2, ?, “”, Search ALL options but BE SPECIFIC Limits View Abstracts - Appraise

Database Tips: Truncation Truncation is a form of searching often used in databases and library catalogues A “wildcard” symbol is used where a range of words or plurals could be relevant CARDI* OVASCULAR OLOGY AC OGRAM OGRAPH OPULMONARY OMYOPATHY

SWIMS library catalogue online resources Access the site from your tablet or phone, and download ebooks for offline reading. SWIMS library catalogue Oxford Medicine Online

A to Z Journal List

Other workshops Critical Appraisal How to interpret the results 1:1 http://www.uhbristol.nhs.uk/for-clinicians/library-and-information-service/study-skills/

Library outreach service The library Level 5, Education Centre Upper Maudlin St Tel. ext. 20105 Email. library@uhbristol.nhs.uk