Diane E. Beck, Pharm.D. Director of Educational & Faculty Development and Professor College of Pharmacy University of Florida Unit B Module 2.1 Finding Educational Literature Related to the Health Professions 1

Introduction Literature relevant to educational issue you are exploring may be found in a variety of sources: within your own discipline in other health professions in the field of education in other disciplines Valuable information may be found in Encyclopedias, Books, Journals, Grey Literature, and the Web. Therefore, searches must sometimes be broader than using just Pubmed and the Web 2

SESSION GOALS How to get ready for a search…….. How to locate educational literature using effective search strategies…….. LEARN: 3

HOW TO GET READY FOR A SEARCH: Construct Your Search Query 4

The following iterative process is used to construct a search query: 1.Define the search query by writing a purpose statement, research question or hypothesis 2.Identify and expand essential concepts 3.Establish the scope of your query (inclusion and exclusion criteria) Define the Search Query Identify & Expand Concepts Set the Scope of the Query Reference: Haig & Dozier. Medical Teacher 2003;5:

Construct Your Search Query Let’s Look at Each Step of this Process….. Define the Search Query Identify & Expand Concepts Set the Scope of the Query 6

Construct Your Search Query Define the Search Query Identify & Expand Concepts Set the Scope of the Query Reference: Haig & Dozier. Medical Teacher 2003;5: How to Define the Search Query by Refining Your Research Question Use your purpose statement/intent to write a research question with the following components: 1.Participants (eg, Students) 2.Intervention (eg, educational strategy) 3.Comparison or alternate intervention (if relevant) 4.Outcome 7

Construct Your Search Query Identify words or phrases that are similar to words in each of the 4 components of your search statement: 1.Synonyms 2.Alternate spellings 3.Related terms Reference: Haig & Dozier. Medical Teacher 2003;5: How to Identify and Expand Concepts Define the Search Query Identify & Expand Concepts Set the Scope of the Query 8

Construct Your Search Query How to Identify and Expand Concepts 1.Use “Subject Headings” A.These are a set of terms that the company who developed the database assigned. B.Examples are: i.MeSH (Medical Subject Headings by PubMed) ii.Thesaurus (used by ERIC) 2.Use “Keywords” A.These are words used by authors and you. 9

Construct Your Search Query Identify inclusion or exclusion criteria: 1.Example: Limit the type of student/learner Note: 1.Often, the first search will be performed without using exclusion criteria. The criteria can be added if the number of “hits” are large or too small. Reference: Haig & Dozier. Medical Teacher 2003;5: Establish the Scope of your Query Define the Search Query Identify & Expand Concepts Set the Scope of the Query 10

Your Purpose Statement/Research Question should contain the following components: 1.Participants: 2.Intervention: 3.Comparison or alternate intervention: 3.Outcome: How to Define the Search Query Example: Are asynchronous lectures as effective as traditional (live) clinical instruction in achieving effective learning with students? Students Asynchronous lectures Traditional clinical instruction Effective Learning 11

How to Identify and Expand Concepts Example: Are asynchronous lectures as effective as traditional (live) clinical instruction in achieving effective learning with students? StudentsAsynchronous LecturesLecturesEffective learning Learners Students, medical Videostreaming Podcasting Teaching Methods Clinical teaching Learner Outcomes StudentsAsynchronous Lectures Clinical instruction Effective Learning 12

Construct Your Search Query Identify inclusion or exclusion criteria: 1.Example: Limit the type of student/learner Note: 1.Often, the first search will be performed without using exclusion criteria. The criteria can be added if the number of “hits” are large. Reference: Haig & Dozier. Medical Teacher 2003;5: Establish the Scope of your Query Example: Are asynchronous lectures as effective as clinical instruction in achieving effective learning with students? Will perform search using “students” and reevaluate need for inclusion/exclusion criteria (eg, 3 rd year vs 4 th year vs both). 13

Summary: Construct Your Search Query In summary - The following iterative process is used to construct a search query: 1.Define the search query by writing a question or hypothesis 2.Identify and expand essential concepts 3.Establish the scope of your query (inclusion and exclusion criteria) Define the Search Query Identify & Expand Concepts Set the Scope of the Query Reference: Haig & Dozier. Medical Teacher 2003;5:

SEARCH STRATEGIES FOR LOCATING LITERATURE: The Web & PubMed are the Tip of the Iceberg 15

Early Stage Materials Grey Literature Journal Articles Books References: Encyclopedias & Handbooks First Appearance of Information Information >10 Years Old High Quality Stds Low Quality Stds Literature Pyramid Reference: Creswell, Educational Research, 3 rd Ed.,

Early Stage Materials Grey Literature Journal Articles Books References: Encyclopedias & Handbooks References: The Foundation 1.International Handbook on Research in Medical Education, (Norman and Van der Vleuten, Editors), Teaching and Learning in Medical and Surgical Education, (Distlehorst and Dunnington, Editors), International Encyclopedia of Education, (Husen, Editor), Elsevier, Encyclopedia of Educational Research, (Alkin, Editor), Higher Education in the United States: An Encyclopedia, (Forest and Kinser), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology, 7.Encyclopedia of Distance Learning, (Boettcher, et al, Editors), Handbook of Distance Education, Moore, Editor), References That May Be Relevant to Your Searches 17

Books Search the UF Library Catalog This Catalog May Be Accessed From Either the HSC Libraries Website or the Smathers Library Website Early Stage Materials Grey Literature Journal Articles Books References: Encyclopedias & Handbooks 18

From the HSC Libraries Website, Select “Catalog” 19

From the Smathers Library Website, Select “Books” & “The UF Libraries Catalog” 20

Journal Articles How to Find Journal Articles 1.Database Search a.Search multiple databases (see next slide) 2.Ancestry Search a.Search the bibliographies/reference list of relevant papers to identify references missed by other methods. 3.Hand Search a.Search either print or electronic journals by personally examining volume by volume, issues by issue, article by article. (a standard for systemic reviews) Early Stage Materials Grey Literature Journal Articles Books References: Encyclopedias & Handbooks 21 Three Ways to Find Articles:

Journal Articles Databases Useful for Medical Education Projects 1.PubMed – appropriate if your project involves an educational intervention “only” used in medical education. 2.Timelit ( – applicable to medical education. 3.EBSCOhost - allows you to expand to other health professions. This is useful if the intervention is also used in other health professions. 1.To Use this database: (Select Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, Pre- CINAHL, Health Source, Professional Development Collection, and Psych Info) 4.ERIC – useful if the intervention is used across many areas of education (eg, small group learning). a.To Use: 1.Via Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (includes links to fulltext) 2.Via FirstSearch (includes links to fulltext) 3.Free website: (no fulltext links) 5.Education Full-text (Wilson Web) – also good for broad education searches. 22

Grey Literature Examples 1.Academic papers 2.Committee reports 3.Conference papers 4.Dissertations 5.Government Reports 6.Newsletters 7.Research Reports 8.Technical Reports Early Stage Materials Grey Literature Journal Articles Books References: Encyclopedias & Handbooks Definition Literature that is not controlled by commercial publishers. It is produced by organizations (ACGME), government, academics, business, and industry in both print and electronic formats. This can be a source of information not yet in Journals!! 23

Grey Literature Sources 1.Web 2.ERIC (via Cambridge Scientific Abstracts) – Includes grey literature 3.The Grey Literature Report (Published bimonthly by the New York Academy of Medicine) a.Includes AAMC documents b. 4.Dissertation Abstracts (available via UF library databases) 5.Library of Congress a.catalog.loc.gov 6.National Library of Medicine a. Early Stage Materials Grey Literature Journal Articles Books References: Encyclopedias & Handbooks 24

Early Stage Materials Definition Information that is not yet in Grey literature, Journals, Books, and Encyclopedias Sources 1.Web – (will also locate grey literature and other stages of materials) a.Google Scholar (can link into UF libraries if you are logged in via the UF network) 2.Manual Searching of Professional Associations Relevant to the Topic Early Stage Materials Grey Literature Journal Articles Books References: Encyclopedias & Handbooks 25

Literature Searches are an Iterative Process Define the Search Query Identify & Expand Concepts Set the Scope of the Query Early Stage Materials Grey Literature Journal Articles Books References: Encyclopedias & Handbooks 26

Therefore, after you read some of the initial articles you retrieve…………… You may find you need to revise your search terms and do the search again. It may take multiple iterations of literature retrieval to develop a conceptual framework for your project. 27 Literature Searches are an Iterative Process

GOOD LUCK! 28