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

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice How to search Objectives: Know how to develop simple and effective search terms and strategies to search for information and apply them to a research question Know how to develop simple and effective search terms and strategies to search for information and apply them to a research question Have practical experience of using search strategies and techniques Have practical experience of using search strategies and techniques Know how to carry out a focused search Know how to carry out a focused search

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Why Learn To Search? Save time and stress by know how to carry out effective and focused searches by using simple techniques Save time and stress by know how to carry out effective and focused searches by using simple techniques Improve the quality of your reference list at the end of your essay Improve the quality of your reference list at the end of your essay Acquire a skill that will help you keep up to date as a student and as a qualified nurse Acquire a skill that will help you keep up to date as a student and as a qualified nurse

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice The Question What is the question? What is the question? Break it down into separate terms Break it down into separate terms Think about the terms you will be searching with Think about the terms you will be searching with

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Example of a question How effective is radiotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer? How effective is radiotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer?

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Search Strategy Make a grid and list your search terms if it helps: Make a grid and list your search terms if it helps: PopulationInterventionComparisonOutcome breast cancer radiotherapy breast neoplasm$ breast neoplasm$irradiation

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Search Strategy Make a grid and list your search terms if it helps: Make a grid and list your search terms if it helps: PopulationInterventionComparisonOutcome breast cancer radiotherapy breast neoplasm$ breast neoplasm$irradiation

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Search Terms There are two different ways to search: There are two different ways to search: 1. Using textwords or keywords 1. Using textwords or keywords 2. Using subject headings 2. Using subject headings We will use keyword and subject heading searching – your workbook will show you how to do both. We will use keyword and subject heading searching – your workbook will show you how to do both.

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice What is a keyword search? Search by a word or phrase you have chosen Search by a word or phrase you have chosen E.g. breast cancer E.g. breast cancer The database will be searched for this keyword and references retrieved The database will be searched for this keyword and references retrieved

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice What is a subject heading search? Using standard headings provided by the database producer Using standard headings provided by the database producer E.g. breast neoplasm will retrieve references which have been assigned this heading E.g. breast neoplasm will retrieve references which have been assigned this heading

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Combining Searches Using“or” Make up a search using the terms in your grid. Use or to join all the similar terms together Make up a search using the terms in your grid. Use or to join all the similar terms together E.g. E.g. breast cancer or breast neoplasm breast cancer or breast neoplasm radiotherapy or irradiation radiotherapy or irradiation

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice

OR breast cancer breast neoplasm$ #1 OR #2 #3

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice OR So you have a set of articles which mention either : So you have a set of articles which mention either : 1. breast cancer or breast 1. breast cancer or breast neoplasm$ neoplasm$ 2. radiotherapy or irradiation 2. radiotherapy or irradiation

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Combining Searches Using “and” Then use and to join different terms e.g. Then use and to join different terms e.g. breast cancer or breast neoplasm and breast cancer or breast neoplasm and radiotherapy or irradiation radiotherapy or irradiation The database will then be searched for all these terms The database will then be searched for all these terms

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice

AND breast cancer or breast neoplasm$ AND radiotherapy or irradiation #2 breast cancer or breast neoplasm$ #1 #3

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice AND So you have a set of articles which mention either : So you have a set of articles which mention either : breast cancer or breast neoplasm$ AND radiotherapy or irradiation

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Combining Terms If you combine terms using and you will be able to search more accurately If you combine terms using and you will be able to search more accurately It will allow you to find article on two or more subjects e.g breast cancer and radiotherapy It will allow you to find article on two or more subjects e.g breast cancer and radiotherapy

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Truncation Offered by a lot of databases Offered by a lot of databases Enables the searcher to look for variations of a word Enables the searcher to look for variations of a word If you wanted to search for references on hypnosis you want to include hypnotise, hypnotised, hypnotising, hypnotics and US spelling hypnotize If you wanted to search for references on hypnosis you want to include hypnotise, hypnotised, hypnotising, hypnotics and US spelling hypnotize

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Truncation Ctd So in Medline to retrieve all words relating to hypnosis type: So in Medline to retrieve all words relating 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 rat, rats, ratio, rational, rationale, rate etc Take care with this e.g rat$ would retrieve rat, rats, ratio, rational, rationale, rate etc

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice A Simple Search Strategy 1. breast cancer 2. breast neoplasm$ 3. 1 or 2 4. radiotherapy 5. irradiation 6. 4 or and 6

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice What if I have a lot of references? Try limiting your search Try limiting your search

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Limiting Searches Use with care, as you can miss important references Use with care, as you can miss important references They are visible under the search box They are visible under the search box Apply them one at a time so you can see the effect each is having on your references Apply them one at a time so you can see the effect each is having on your references

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice 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 relevant relevant Searches can be limited by: Searches can be limited by: - Methodology - Methodology - Language (e.g. English only) - Language (e.g. English only) - Date (e.g onwards) - Date (e.g onwards)

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Other Features Author – useful if you know the name of an expert Author – useful if you know the name of an expert Article title – for finding specific articles Article title – for finding specific articles Journal title – you might want to search a specific title Journal title – you might want to search a specific title Just click on the icons to do the above Just click on the icons to do the above

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Evaluating Results- Titles Do they look relevant? Do they look relevant? The right level – too basic or too technical? The right level – too basic or too technical?

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Evaluating Results - Source Are they peer reviewed? Are they peer reviewed? Not academic ie. a magazine Not academic ie. a magazine Geographically based or a specific language Geographically based or a specific language

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Evaluating Results - Date What period does it cover, do you want to limit to a specific period? What period does it cover, do you want to limit to a specific period? Are the oldest and recent references relevant? Are the oldest and recent references relevant? Is a specific time period required? Is a specific time period required?

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Evaluating Results - Abstract Is it structured i.e. objectives, methods, results and conclusion? Is it structured i.e. objectives, methods, results and conclusion? Detailed or brief? Detailed or brief? How many references are listed? How many references are listed?

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Evaluating Results – Other Fields PT or DT – Publication Type or Document Type PT or DT – Publication Type or Document Type is it a review article/journal article/book review etc.? is it a review article/journal article/book review etc.? Pages – how many, is the article long or just one page? Pages – how many, is the article long or just one page?

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Locating Articles You can find them through the database – links are provided to full text where it is available to the University You can find them through the database – links are provided to full text where it is available to the University You can find them through the Library Catalogue You can find them through the Library Catalogue

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Locating Articles Ctd. If you find an article using the above methods it can be requested by using the Interlending and Document Supply Service If you find an article using the above methods it can be requested by using the Interlending and Document Supply Service ry/guides/interlending.htm ry/guides/interlending.htm

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Searching Top Tips Prepare your search before you do it: 1. Break down your search into elements (population, intervention, condition, outcome) (population, intervention, condition, outcome) 2. Identify search terms for each element for both keyword and subject heading search for both keyword and subject heading search

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Searching Top Tips Ctd 3. Search for each element using OR (this will always increase the number of (this will always increase the number of references found) references found) 4. Combine each element using AND (this will reduce the number of references found) (this will reduce the number of references found) 5. Consider using relevant limits 6. If in doubt ask a librarian.

Accessing Sources of Evidence For Practice Session 6b Practice searching Complete the workbook provided Complete the workbook provided Then : Then : Log into the VLE and answer the question, the search to yourself and forward a copy to Log into the VLE and answer the question, the search to yourself and forward a copy to