Helena VonVille, MLS, MPH Director, University of Texas School
of Public Health Library Fall 2014 S IX S TRATEGIES FOR E FFECTIVE
S EARCHING
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#2 of 35 O BJECTIVES Be able to define what a database is Be
able to describe the strategies for developing an effective
search
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#3 of 35 W HAT IS A DATABASE ? Formally, "database" refers to
the data themselves and supporting data structures. Databases are
created to operate large quantities of information by inputting,
storing, retrieving and managing that information. Databases are
set up so that one set of software programs provides all users with
access to all the data. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Databas
e#Terminology_and_overview http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Databas
e#Terminology_and_overview
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#4 of 35 W HAT IS A DATABASE ? Two parts to consider Content
Interface or search engine
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#5 of 35 W HAT IS A DATABASE ? Databases contain records
Records contain fields Fields are defined by the database producer
Most fields are searchable Searches can be directed to look in
specific fields
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#6 of 35 W HAT IS A DATABASE ? Interface/search engine defines
how the db looks and the rules for searching the db Plays a major
role in the results you retrieve Which is the interface? Which is
the database? Ovid..MedlineMedline Ebsco..MedlineMedline
NCBI..PubMedPubMed
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#7 of 35 S IX S TRATEGIES FOR E FFECTIVE S EARCHING 1. Create
concept clusters based on the components of your topic 2. Combine
terms & concepts using Boolean operators 3. Use the appropriate
vocabulary 4. Revise your search strategy 5. Search more than one
database 6. Learn database search rules & peculiarities
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#8 of 35 S TRATEGY #1 C REATE CONCEPT CLUSTERS First and
foremost know what you want to research! Consider the following:
What class are you in? Make your topic appropriate to the class you
are taking. Who is your population? What types of studies do you
want? What range of years do you want? Why? What languages do you
want to include? What setting(s) are you interested in?
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#9 of 35 S TRATEGY #1 C REATE CONCEPT CLUSTERS Develop a search
strategy based on concept clusters Three concepts generally work
best Combine multiple terms to create a concept Perform broad
conceptual searches Combine concepts to narrow results
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#10 of 35 S TRATEGY #1 C REATE CONCEPT CLUSTERS Sample aim:
Examine factors in interventions that result in the reduction of
the use of tobacco products, specifically cigarettes, among adult
African Americans
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#11 of 35 S TRATEGY #1 C REATE CONCEPT CLUSTERS Interventions
Interventions or health promotion or health education or health
knowledge acquisition Tobacco Smoking or cigarettes or tobacco
African Americans African Americans or Blacks
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#12 of 35 S TRATEGY #2 C OMBINE TERMS USING B OOLEAN Combine
terms to create concepts or OR if searching PubMed Combine concepts
to create a single search statement and AND If searching PubMed
Remove terms (use sparingly!) not NOT if search PubMed
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#13 of 35 S TRATEGY #2 C OMBINE TERMS USING B OOLEAN Smoking or
cigarettes or tobacco African Americans or Blacks AND finds the
articles where all 3 circles converge. Interventions or health
promotion or health education or health knowledge acquisition Terms
related to each concept are combined using OR.
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#14 of 35 S TRATEGY #2 C OMBINE TERMS USING B OOLEAN If you
want to google-ize a search Parentheses in licensed databases
ensure the correct order of operations What does this equation
equal? 4 + 3 x 7 8 What does this equation equal? (4 + 3) x (7 8)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations
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#15 of 35 S TRATEGY #2 C OMBINE TERMS USING B OOLEAN What does
this equation equal? 4 + 3 x 7 8 = 17 According to the order of
operations, multiplication and division are done before addition
and substraction. What does this equation equal? (4 + 3) x (7 8) =
-7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations
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#16 of 35 S TRATEGY #2 C OMBINE TERMS USING B OOLEAN This
search in any Ovid database: Interventions or health promotion and
Smoking or cigarettes and African Americans or Blacks Will return:
(((((Interventions or health promotion) and Smoking) or cigarettes)
and African Americans) or Blacks)
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Blacks Articles with ((Interventions or health promotion) and
smoking) AND African Americans will be returned. Articles with
Cigarettes and African Americans will be returned. All articles
with the term Blacks will be found. (Intervention s or health
promotion) African Americans AND OR Cigarettes African Americans
AND Smoking #17 of 35
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#18 of 35 S TRATEGY #2 C OMBINE TERMS USING B OOLEAN Where do
you think the parenthesis should go? Interventions or health
promotion and Smoking or cigarettes and African Americans or
Blacks
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#19 of 35 S TRATEGY #2 C OMBINE TERMS USING B OOLEAN Where do
you think the parenthesis should go? (Interventions or health
promotion) and (Smoking or cigarettes) and (African Americans or
Blacks)
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#20 of 35 S TRATEGY #2 C OMBINE T ERMS U SING B OOLEAN You can
google-ize a search but Parentheses are important!
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#21 of 35 S TRATEGY #2 C OMBINE T ERMS U SING B OOLEAN Example
concept cluster
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#22 of 35 S TRATEGY #3 U SE THE APPROPRIATE VOCABULARY Each
database has its own unique terminology Also known as a controlled
vocabulary Search for controlled vocabulary terms within the
database
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#23 of 35 S TRATEGY #3 U SE THE APPROPRIATE VOCABULARY Common
controlled vocabularies MeSH: Medical Subject Headings Used by both
Medline & PubMed Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms Used by
PsycINFO
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S TRATEGY #3 U SE THE APPROPRIATE VOCABULARY #24 of 35
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#25 of 35 S TRATEGY #3 U SE THE APPROPRIATE VOCABULARY Many
databases also have special fields that utilize a different
vocabulary or codes Librarians frequently use them to help refine
searches
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#26 of 35 S TRATEGY #3 U SE THE APPROPRIATE VOCABULARY Example
from Ovid Medline MeSH + subheadings / eh [Ethnology] / th
[Therapy] Publication type
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#27 of 35 S TRATEGY #3 U SE THE APPROPRIATE VOCABULARY Ovid
PsycINFO Subject headings Key Concepts Classification code
Population Group Methodology
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#28 of 35 S TRATEGY #4 R EVISE YOUR SEARCH STRATEGY Multiple
searches in the same db are the norm Use citations found in earlier
searches to help develop and revise searches
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#29 of 35 S TRATEGY #4 R EVISE YOUR SEARCH STRATEGY Example:
African Americans or Blacks or Ethnic Groups
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#30 of 35 S TRATEGY #5 S EARCH MORE THAN ONE DB No one database
does it all Not even Google or Google Scholar Each db has strengths
& weaknesses For in-depth health promotion research paper:
PsycINFO and Medline/PubMed
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#31 of 35 S TRATEGY #6 L EARN DB SEARCH RULES &
PECULIARITIES Adjacency (proximity) searching Interface function
Terms must be within certain number of words from each other PubMed
not allowed Use quotation marks for phrases
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#32 of 35 S TRATEGY #6 L EARN DB SEARCH RULES &
PECULIARITIES Adjacency (proximity) searching Ovid (Medline,
PsycINFO) Cancer adj3 screening Ebsco (CINAHL, Acad Srch Comp)
Cancer n3 screening Words in any order Cancer w3 screening Words
must be in the order entered Cancer screening will be found;
screening for cancer wont
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#33 of 35 S TRATEGY #6 L EARN DB SEARCH RULES &
PECULIARITIES Search in specific fields Fields are defined by
database producer How to search defined by interface Ovid databases
Ovarian cancer.ti,ab. and english.la. PubMed Ovarian cancer[tiab]
AND English[la] Ebsco databases (TI Ovarian cancer OR AB Ovarian
cancer) AND LA english
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#34 of 35 S TRATEGY #6 L EARN DB SEARCH RULES &
PECULIARITIES PubMed requires CAPITALIZED operators and vs AND; or
vs OR; not vs NOT Search for phrases using quotation marks Works in
Google, too!
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#35 of 35 S IX S TRATEGIES FOR E FFECTIVE S EARCHING 1. Create
concept clusters based on the components of your topic 2. Use the
appropriate vocabulary 3. Combine terms & concepts using
Boolean operators 4. Revise your search strategy 5. Search more
than one database 6. Learn database search rules &
peculiarities
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Contact: Helena VonVilleAmy Taylor
[email protected]@uth.tmc.edu
713.500.9131713.500.9129 Q UESTIONS ? A SK A L IBRARIAN OR VIA TEXT
: 713-965-6968 A SK A L IBRARIAN