Postgraduate Course 5. Evidence-based management: Step 2: Search for the best available evidence

Postgraduate Course 5-step approach EBMgt is a 5-step approach 1.Formulate an answerable question (PICOC) 2.Search for the best available evidence 3.Critical appraise the quality of the found evidence 4.Integrate the evidence with managerial expertise and organizational concerns and apply 5.Monitor and evaluate the results

Postgraduate Course Searching evidence Searching evidence What do we search?

Postgraduate Course Type of Information Source Current Information Wall street Journal, Financial Times, Business week, Financieel Dagblad Overview of a subject General background Academic Information Statistical Information Textbooks and popular booksEncyclopedias, yearbooks & book reviews ABI/INFORM, Business Source Premier, Emerald, PsychInfo, Science Direct CBS Statline, Eurostat Theories about a subject Textbooks and encyclopedias Information sources Company information Company Annual Reports, Datastream, Factiva.com, Amadeus

Postgraduate Course Searching evidence Searching evidence Where do we search?

Postgraduate Course Articles in peer reviewed journals

Postgraduate Course Searching evidence Searching evidence How do we search? Search Strategy

Postgraduate Course Two types of search strategies Search strategy Building blocks method Snowball method

Postgraduate Course Snowball method Starting from one book or article, you search for other literature on the same topic.  Snowballing to older publications by finding out which publications were used by the author (see bibliography of book or article).  Snowballing to more recent publications by finding out how often that book or article has been cited by other authors (see Web of Knowledge or Google Scholar).

Postgraduate Course Snowball method

Postgraduate Course Synonyms or related terms …. Synonyms or related terms …. Synonyms or related terms …. Building blocks method Synonyms or related terms …. Keyword 1Keyword 2Keyword 3Keyword 4 ANDANDAND OROROR

Postgraduate Course P =back office employees I = merger, integration, back office C = status quo O = economy of scale C = healthcare, different organizational culture, unequal Answerable question: PICOC 1.Underline the keywords 2.Number the order of importance from 1-4

Postgraduate Course P =back office employees I = 1. merger, 3. integration, back office C = status quo O = 4. economy of scale C = 5. healthcare, different 2. organizational culture, unequal Answerable question: PICOC 1.Underline the keywords 2.Number the order of importance

Postgraduate Course Search terms Search terms Operationalise your Pico elements! O = long term profitability?

Postgraduate Course corporate culture: organizational behavior/character, corporate identity merger: acquisition, take-over, fusion, combination, unification profitability: profit, advantage, return on investment, shareholder value The keywords of your PICOC may be enough. If not, select more words by using: Select keywords Select keywords  synonyms  alternate spelling, translations  related terms / words / subjects  narrower or broader terms

Postgraduate Course Search in the following order Search in the following order 1. Thesaurus (SU) 2. Title (TI) 3. Abstract (AB) 4. Alternate spellings, synonyms

Postgraduate Course The advantages of ‘subjects’ or ‘thesaurus terms’  One single term for variations in spelling or synonyms ( organization, organization, company, corporation)  The term is relevant (therefore, so is the article)  Automatic “Explode” function (narrower terms are automatically included)  Extra search options (subheadings, major topics, etc.) Subject / Thesaurus terms Subject / Thesaurus terms

Postgraduate Course The disadvantages of ‘subjects’ or ‘thesaurus terms’  Recent articles not yet indexed  “Index errors”  Sometimes there are no suitable subjects or thesaurus terms (new concept, specific term) Therefore use also words in the title or abstract! Subject / Thesaurus terms Subject / Thesaurus terms

Postgraduate Course Search Query Search Query 1.Search with #1 PICOC term (incl. alternative terms, synonyms, alternate spellings, truncations, etc.) in the thesaurus, title or abstract 2.Combine the results with OR (use the history function!) 3.Search with #2 PICOC term (incl. synonyms, etc.) 4.Combine the results with OR 5.Combine the results of step 2 and 4 with AND

Postgraduate Course Boolean operators  AND = both terms (apples AND oranges)  OR = either one of these terms (apples OR oranges)  NOT = without this term (fruit NOT oranges)  NEAR = near this term (apples NEAR oranges)  * = replaces 0,1 or more characters (apple*= apple, apples, applejack, applejuice, applepie, etc.)  ?= replaces 1 character (organi?ation= organisation, organization)

Postgraduate Course oranges apples apples AND oranges apples OR oranges oranges apples Boolean operators

Postgraduate Course Merger Fusion Combination Take over Acquisition Unification … 1. Merger 3. Integration Healthcare organization Non profit Not for profit 4. Health care organization AND Search Query: an example Search Query: an example IIO OROR Integration Corporate culture Organizational behavior Organizational character Corporate identity Core beliefs Shared values 2. Corporate culture C AND OR

Postgraduate Course Databases

Comparing databases Comparing databases

Postgraduate Course Start up Start up

Postgraduate Course Start up Start up

Postgraduate Course Always search for indexed topics or thesaurus terms Always search for indexed topics or thesaurus terms

Postgraduate Course thesaurus terms thesaurus terms

Postgraduate Course Use the history function to combine results Combining results Combining results

Postgraduate Course Use the history function to combine results Combining results Combining results

Postgraduate Course Narrow your results Narrow your results

Postgraduate Course Narrow your results Narrow your results

Postgraduate Course Save your results Save your results

Postgraduate Course If an article is not available in ABI/ Inform or BSE: try Google (advanced search) If an article is not available in ABI/ Inform or BSE: try Google (advanced search)

Postgraduate Course Summary 1.Formulate a focused question and break it down into keywords (PICOC), 2.Underline the 2 to 4 most relevant keywords, 3.Start with the most relevant keyword: is it listed in the thesaurus? If not: search in the title or abstract. 4.Repeat your search with alternative terms, synonyms or alternate spellings. 5.Combine the outcome of step 4 (thesaurus), 5 (title or abstract) and 6 (alternative terms) with OR (use the history function!) 6.Repeat above steps for keyword 2 7.Combine the outcome of your search with keyword 1 and 2 with AND (use the history function!) 8.Filter the articles with “studies” (subject > studies) 9.Read the titles and abstracts of your results, select the relevant articles and safe them. 10.No full text available in ABI/Inform or BS Elite? Try Google Advanced.

Postgraduate Course Learning through play !  Try all buttons  Make lots of mistakes  Have fun !