1. Literature Searching Skills: Finding the Evidence
Library and Information Service
Level 5
Education Centre

2. Evidence Based Practice

3. Why?

4. Searching the evidence
What search tools do you use?
The NHS subscribes to eight healthcare databases
Access via

5. Aims and Objectives Why do we need to search for literature?
How to formulate a clinical question
How to develop a search strategy
Where to look for the best quality evidence
Access to e-resources

6. Formulate an answerable clinical question
Spotting the PICO in critical appraisal, is there a focussed question?

7. Example
Does handwashing among healthcare workers reduce hospital acquired infections?
P - hospital acquired infection
I – handwashing
C – no handwashing / other solutions, masks etc
O – reduced infection
MESH - hand hygiene; hand disinfection; cross infection
CINAHL – handwashing; cross infection

8. Formulate an answerable clinical question
Patient or Population
Intervention or Exposure
Comparisons
(if required)
Outcomes
WHO?
 WHAT?
WHAT?
Terms etc

9. How to search the databases
Be aware:  In many, but not all, databases, the AND is implied. 
For example, Google automatically puts an AND in between your search terms.
Though all your search terms are included in the results, they may not be connected together in the way you want.
For example, this search:  college students test anxiety  is translated to:  college AND students AND test AND anxiety. The words may appear individually throughout the resulting records.
You can search using phrases to make your results more specific.
For example:  "college students" AND "test anxiety". This way, the phrases show up in the results as you expect them to be.

10. Database Tips Truncat* & “Bool* Operat*” - *, ADJ2, ?, “”,
Search ALL options but BE SPECIFIC
Limits
View Abstracts - Appraise

11. Database Tips: Truncation
Truncation is a form of searching often used in databases and library catalogues
A “wildcard” symbol is used where a range of words or plurals could be relevant
CARDI*
OVASCULAR
OLOGY AC
OGRAM
OGRAPH
OPULMONARY
OMYOPATHY

15. SWIMS library catalogue
online resources
Access the site from your tablet or phone, and download ebooks for offline reading.
SWIMS library catalogue
Oxford Medicine Online

16. A to Z Journal List

17. Other workshops Critical Appraisal How to interpret the results 1:1

18. Library outreach service
The library
Level 5, Education Centre
Upper Maudlin St
Tel. ext .