general searching tips

SEARCH TIPS

GENERAL SEARCH TIPS

Identify key concepts in research statement or question

Build search strings using Boolean Operators (and other search tools)

Choose which database(s) to search If you need assistance, Ask-a-Librarian

Set Limits to narrow your results Contact a librarian if you need help!

STEP 1: SELECT KEY CONCEPTS TO BUILD STEP 1: SELECT KEY CONCEPTS TO BUILD SEARCH WITH.SEARCH WITH.

What effect does nutrition have on learning?


I’m looking for articles on hyperhidrosis (aka excessive sweating or perspiration).


I need articles on epidural and subdural hematomas but not subarachnoid hematomas.

STEP 2: BUILD A SEARCH STRING STEP 2: BUILD A SEARCH STRING

AND—OR—NOT & other search tools

The AND Operator

Measles:20,604 Results

Mumps:7,900 Results

Measles AND Mumps:3,665 Results

PubMed search results 06/29/09

The OR Operator


Mumps:7,900 Results

Measles OR Mumps:24,838 Results


The NOT operator


Measles NOT Mumps:4,234 Results

Mumps:7,900 Results

Note: Beware of using NOT because you can “not” yourself out of good search results!


Use other search operators such as:

• Quotation marks to search as a phraseex. “heart attack” searches as a phrase

and not for individual instances of the words heart or attack

• Truncate wordsex. “inject*” searches injects, injected,

injecting, injection, etc.

CONSTRUCTING THE SEARCH STRINGS

What effect does nutrition have on learning?

• nutrition AND learning

• nutrition AND (learning OR education)


I’m looking for articles on hyperhidrosis (aka excessive sweating or perspiration).

hyperhidrosis OR ((sweat* OR perspir*) AND (excessive OR abnormal OR profuse))


I need articles on epidural and subdural hematomas but not subarachnoid hematomas.

((epidural OR subdural) AND hematoma) NOT “subarachnoid hematoma”

Note: Beware of using NOT because you can “not” yourself out of good search results!

STEP 3: SELECT A DATABASE (AND/OR STEP 3: SELECT A DATABASE (AND/OR CAREFULLY CAREFULLY SEARCH THE INTERNET).SEARCH THE INTERNET).

Select a database by:

Asking a librarian for help

Going to the Databases and Resources page http://www.uab.edu/lister

and/orCAREFULLY search the internet

http://www.uab.edu/lister

Items to consider when evaluating internet based information

Who runs the site?

Clear ownership

How is the site funded?

Conflict of Interest

What is the purpose of the site?

Clear statement of purpose and mission

References clearly listed

Where does the information come from?

How is content selected?

Clear statement on selection and inclusion/exclusion of information

How current is the information?

Date posted or last update displayed

Does the website provide contact information?

In this case, by online form

And with what we just went over in mind …

Wikipedia:

A great place to start…

…but not the place to finish.

Anyone (essentially) can edit a Wikipedia entry

From the revision history of the Universal Health CareWikipedia entry

Wikipedia entries often have links to credible and scholarly resources

References section from Wikipedia Universal Health Care entry

STEP 4: SET LIMITS

In the process of searching, introduce limits:• Publication Dates• Language(s)• Discipline (nursing, medicine, etc.)• Type of article (opinion, clinical trial, review, etc.)• Free full text• Etc.

Limits can have great impact on searches:Use them wisely; Start with a broad search (Don’t “limit” yourself out of good resources)

Seek the help and assistance of a

Lister Hill Library Librarian!http://www.uab.edu/lister

Ask-a-Librarianhttp://www.uab.edu/lister/qpask/

And follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/UABLHL

Nursing Liaisonshttp://www.uab.edu/lister/research/nursing/

general searching tips

Education