SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION STRATEGIES FOR RETRIEVAL HSMP

Why? Effective searching for pertinent information All essential, key information Without irrelevant side-tracks

What? General information, broad subjects Books, review articles Specific information, recent developments Articles Statistics Websites - reports

Resources for the selection Internet search engines Websites of international organizations Bibliographic databases Relevance - Thoroughness – Invisible - Deep web – Integrity - Reliability - Up-to-dateness - Repeatability

Search engines Google Binghttp:// Yahoo

Google Scholar Combines search engine characteristics with database features Searches scientific literature instead of websites Relevance ranking, citation analysis Offers links to the full text (provided you have access rights)

International organizations and agencies WHOhttp:// UNDPhttp:// World Bank UNAIDShttp:// CDChttp:// CIA – World Factbookhttps:// Integrity, Stability, Currency, Full Text

Bibliographic databases Cover clearly defined subject areas Structured bibliographic descriptions containing a number of searchable fields (author, title, journal,…) Search tools comprise thesaurus (hierarchically arranged list of keywords) and alphabetical index(es)

Search strategies: Where to start? 1. Select an appropriate database Criteria: - scope: time frame and subjects covered - full text accessibility (print, PDF…) - document types included

Search strategies: Where to start? ITM catalogues and databases –ITG Book and Document Holdings –ITG Student Dissertations –ITG Staff Publications –Tropical Endemic Diseases Control –Health Care in Developing Countries See: ‘

Search strategies: Where to start? ITM catalogues and databases –Produced by ITM library staff –Relatively small; i.e. 5,000-20,000 records –Limited to relevant topics and collections –Focus on developing countries’ issues –All document types are included (books, articles, grey literature…) –Full text is available in the ITM library + link to electronic full text (DOI) –Free keywords, no thesaurus

Search strategies: Where to start? Medline/Pubmed –Major database in biomedical and allied life sciences –1950 to the present –Articles only –Anglosaxon bias –Local or Third World journals underrepresented –No relationship whatsoever with ITM collection Pubmed Tutorials! Next week: How to search Pubmed

Search strategies: Where to start? Other databases –Global Health (CABI) subscription-based –Popline free –Lilacs [Latin America!] free See: ‘

Search strategies: Type of information 2. Choose the right search strategy Reference or location of specific document(s)  strategy A or More or less extensive literature survey on a topic  strategy B

Search strategies: Strategy A Strategy A: Find (a) specific document(s) Determine the most characteristic elements (E.g. author, word in title, periodical, publisher) Enter search terms in the appropriate fields (advanced search) Use the indexes to verify spelling

Search strategies: Strategy A Are the following books in the ITM library? If so, where can you find them? Green A. An introduction to health planning in developing countries; 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007: 397 pp. Preker AS, Carrin G, editors. Health financing for poor people; resource mobilization and risk sharing. Washington: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank; Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO); Geneva: International Labour Office (ILO), 2004: 446 pp.  Select the appropriate database  What specific elements distinguish this reference from most others?  Specify the appropriate fields if necessary  Look for the location coordinates

Search strategies: Strategy A Generate a list of ITM memoirs since 1995 concerning Rwanda Webspirs  Log in to Webspirs (  Select the appropriate database Keywords index  Enter Rwanda in the Keywords index Publication Date  Enter 1995 in the Publication Date index and select every year until 2011 – Click « Search marked » Search history  Go to Search history and combine search results

Search strategies: Strategy A Find the following references article insurance system Uganda Criel 1.an article on an insurance system in Uganda to which B. Criel contributed article 2009 district level health personnel Indonesia 2.an article from 2009 on the impact of decentralization of health care on district level health personnel in Indonesia book trypanosomiasis Cambridge University 3.a book on the history of trypanosomiasis in Central Africa published by Cambridge University

Search strategies: Strategy B Strategy B: Literature survey on a topic 1.Describe the topic or research area 2.Start with 1 or 2 essential search terms; use the thesaurus and/or keyword index (if available and relevant) 3.Determine the logical relationship between the selected terms and combine those terms or search sets using Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT 4.Evaluate the results: 1.Look for “better” terms if the results are unsatisfactory 2.Add extra terms if the result sets are to large 3.Try broader terms if they are to small 5.Set limits (language, publication year, publication type, availability) where relevant

Search strategies: Strategy B Some extra tips Start essentialStart with the essential, continue in logical steps Do not use search terms that are already obvious specific terms free text broader terms thesaurusSome very specific terms are better searched in « free text », other, broader terms through the thesaurus and/or the indexes synonymsThink about synonyms and alternative spellings WildcardsWildcards (*) can increase useful results Avoid complex, nested search sets, try combining clear search sets instead Watch out when using « NOT », some relevant material may be excluded along with the superfluous

Search strategies: Strategy B Find some references on safe motherhood and availability of emergency obstetric care or competent midwives

Full Text Digital, on the Internet? On paper, in the ITM library?

Full Text – Digital Access E-journals Most journal websites now offer a digital, full-text edition of the original printed version (but still not all). Most journal websites are limited in time coverage (e.g. last 5-10 years) Different access policies: –Free for all (Open Access, free, with or without embargo) –Free for print-subscribers –Electronic edition at extra cost –Electronic edition only (subscription-based or Open Access)

Full Text – Digital Access E-journals lists ITM –Selected full-text journals –Complete list of over 10,000 full-text journals Various portals: e.g. FreeMedicalJournals.com, HighWire Press Free Online Full-text Articles, FreeFullText.com, …

Full Text – Digital Access Open Access initiatives HINARI – Health Internetwork: special access conditions for developing countries (2 groups: free or ‘low price’). PubMed Central: free access to established journals after 6 months. BMC - BioMed Central: a series of freely available new electronic-only peer reviewed journals, financed by author fees. PLoS - Public Library of Science: ‘author pays’ journals, e.g. PLoS Biology, PLoS Medicine,... TropMed Central Antwerp: digital repository of ITM staff publications (2000-…)

Full Text – Digital Access Linking database records and full-text articles Journal level: –Check “Full Text Options” in ITG Serials Holding database Article level: –Webspirs: Full text link (PDF) in bibliographic record –PubMed: (only via

Full Text – Print Version How to locate documents at the ITM library? 1.Journal articles –Copy or print all relevant data –Journal and Year are essential ! –All periodicals are arranged alphabetically  Recent issues: upper floor  Older, bound volumes: lower floor

Full Text – Print Version How to locate documents at the ITM library? 2.Books –Copy or print all relevant data –Book Code and Year are essential! –The ITM books are arranged systematically

Full Text – Print Version How to locate documents at the ITM library? 3.ITM memoirs –Consult the printed lists or the ITG Student Dissertations Database –See Collections (e.g. ‘CIPS’) and Volume (call number, ‘M1032’) for the correct identification –Download or request at the library counter (registration!)

Full Text – Print Version How to locate documents at the ITM library? 4.Grey literature –Search ITG Books Catalog –Check Series Title for identification –See holdings information: This document can be obtained at the ITG Library counter This document is in the periodicals section (Issue) This document is in the reference section (Statistical & country information) – See: shelves next to the library computers

Selection of useful websites ITM Library Databases PubMed PubMed Central Scielo – Scientific Electronic Library Online WHO Library Database WHOLIS BioMed Central Free Medical Journals Open Access Projects HighWire -Free Access to Developing Economies: -Free Online Full-text Articles: HINARI INASP – International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications: