1. Evidence Based Practice 2
Searching the Literature

2. What you need: An Athens account via a My Athens login Your question
Alternatives to all the elements of your question
Some idea of the databases you wish to search
A word document and memory stick OR a notepad and pen

3. What we will do today
Review a number of databases either publically available or via an Athens account
Decide on final search strategy
Run your search strategy in at least one database
Save the output
Locate and retrieve one or two papers to read for Workshop 3

4. Select a database
Major databases available via the Clinicians Health Channel:
CINAHL plus
Cochrane Library
Embase
Medline
PsychINFO
Pub Med

5. Apply Search Limits
Use consistent limits (decide these before you start):
Date
Language
Age
Gender
Human
Study type (Sys RV, RCT, thesis, conf abstract)
What elements of the paper you want searched
Title /Abstract/ Full paper
Abstract / Full paper available

6. Entering Search Terms
Most data bases have a method for allowing you to search all endings of a word or phrase without have to enter them individually
Usually this involves using either * or $
physiother* can be used to search:
physiotherapist
Physiotherapy
physical ther* will find:
physical therapist or physical therapy

7. Enter your search terms
One at a time initially
Heart Attack
Myocardial infarction
AMI
STEMI
Non-STEMI etc.
Note how many papers are located for each term
Terms that are alternatives for each other can then be combined with OR
Heart attack OR Myocardial infarction OR AMI OR STEMI OR non-STEMI
Note how many papers you now have.

8. Enter your search terms
You will usually have a set of alternative terms for each element of your question.
If you are using a PICO format this will give a set of terms combined with OR for each of the P, I, C and O.
Once you have these as 4 search streams you can then use AND to combine them all- this will give you a final set of papers the database has located that meet your search terms

9. Remove Duplicates
Most (but not all) databases will give you some way of identifying and removing duplicate papers from your list
Note how many papers you have left at the end of this process.

10. Save your search output
Some data bases will let you save the search findings and them to yourself
If you have bibliographic software you can save the search in a format that can be opened by this software (eg if you have EndNote, save in an .enl format (end note library))
If no other options see if you can print the output

11. Search more than one database
Why?
Different databases cover different ranges of journals. This will give you the broadest coverage and the best chance of finding all relevant papers.
Try to search all of the relevant databases

12. Completing your search
There are other strategies that can help you find relevant papers:
Search by author
Search specific journals (electronic or hand search of the index)

13. Preparation for workshop 3
Locate a full copy of at least 2 papers that meet your search criteria and are key to your question.
Get a copy of each paper and read in full (not just the abstract)
Next time we will analyse these papers for bias (decide if we think they are worth consideration) and summarise what the authors have reported they did, their results and conclusions.

14. Questions?