1. Power Searching on the Web Top 10 Tips Christian Veillette M.D., M.Sc., FRCSC Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Shoulder & Elbow Reconstructive Surgery University Health Network Deputy Editor, Information and Communication Technology Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research Email: orthonet@gmail.com

2. Objectives Understand common search syntax Use the advanced search functionality of the major search engines Compare different Internet search tools and determine which tool is better for a certain search

3. Power Searching on the Web Jargon terms Multiple keywords Quotation marks OR Parentheses Limit by site Limit by filetype + (plus sign) - (minus sign) ~ (tilde sign)

4. Power Searching on the Web Jargon terms = Technical terms Multiple keywords = Avoid simple search Quotation marks = Exact phrase searching OR = Concept groupings Parentheses = Multiple concept groups Limit by site/title Limit by filetype + (plus sign) = Stopword searching - (minus sign) = Exclude ~ (tilde sign) = Thesaurus or synonym searching

5. Tip 1: Use Jargon Terms Specialized or technical terminology If the sites we wish to avoid are patient oriented Use language patients wouldn’t understand

6. Tip 2: Multiple Keyword Search Avoid simple keyword search – Use at least 3 terms - http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/kd-manual13.html

8. Tip 3: Quotation Marks for Exact Phrase Searching Most useful when – the words to be searched are not very specific – the words have different meanings in various subject areas – having the words adjacent to each other changes the meaning – it is important that the same word is repeated

9. Tip 3: Phrase Searching Results have fewer false positives.

10. Tip 4: Boolean OR Use this when you want ANY of the terms, not ALL of the terms – with at least one of the words Be sure to capitalize the word “OR” so Google does not ignore it Concept grouping – “hip osteonecrosis” OR “hip avascular necrosis” OR “hip AVN” OR “osteonecrosis femoral head”

11. Tip 4: Boolean OR Results have fewer false negatives.

12. Tip 5: Concept Group Searching with Parentheses Group terms that should be processed together, at the same time and in the same way in the search Want to combine with another concept or term Question: Do steroid injections improve shoulder pain? – Concept 1 = “steroid injections” – Concept 2 = “shoulder pain” – Concept 3 = “improve”

13. Tip 5: Concept Group Searching with Parentheses (“steroid injection" OR cortisone OR depomedrol OR triamcinolone) (improve OR help OR placebo) (“shoulder pain” OR “subacromial impingement” OR “rotator cuff tear”)

14. Tip 6: Limit by site When you want to control the quality of the search results – Want government reports on total hip replacement? “total hip replacement" site:fda.gov When you know a site that is likely to have what you need – Want CME on topic from the AAOS, but without using their site search engine? CME ("shoulder replacement" OR “shoulder arthroplasty"”) site:aaos.org When you want to locate a known document – Remember a patient guide but not what organization released it? (acute back pain OR “acute back pain”) site:.org

15. Tip 6: Limit by site (“total hip replacement" OR "total hip arthroplasty") site:clinicaltrials.gov

16. Tip 7: Limit by filetype When you have reason to suspect that the answer you need will be in a certain format – white papers, presentations, reprint Find a presentation – ((osteonecrosis OR AVN) (hip OR femur OR “femoral head”)) filetype:ppt Find a reprint – ((osteonecrosis OR AVN) (hip OR femur OR “femoral head”)) filetype:pdf

17. Tip 7: Limit by filetype – ((osteonecrosis OR AVN) (hip OR femur OR “femoral head”)) filetype:ppt

18. Tip 8: + (plus sign) Google ignores common words and characters such as where, the, how, and other digits and letters If a common word is essential to getting the results you want, include it by putting a "+" sign in front of it Be sure to include a space before the "+" sign – ACJ separation type +III

19. Tip 8: + (plus sign) ACJ separation type +III

20. Tip 9: - (minus sign) Use the minus sign to exclude terms from results when there is a clustering of irrelevant results Help refine a search – bone-grafting in the treatment of ununited femoral shaft fractures – nonunion femoral (shaft OR diaphysis) "bone- grafting“ -supracondylar –hip -neck

21. Tip 9: - (minus sign) nonunion femoral (shaft OR diaphysis) "bone- grafting“ -supracondylar –hip -neck

22. Tip 10: Use Advanced Search nonunion femoral shaft OR diaphysis "bone grafting" -supracondylar -neck - hip If creating this search string comes naturally, you don’t need Advanced Search