Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of using Boolean 'OR' in a search strategy?
What is the primary purpose of using Boolean 'OR' in a search strategy?
Which database employs the use of '.tw' to search for text words?
Which database employs the use of '.tw' to search for text words?
Which search technique would you use to handle variations in spelling when searching?
Which search technique would you use to handle variations in spelling when searching?
What does the '.mp' abbreviation refer to in a Medline search?
What does the '.mp' abbreviation refer to in a Medline search?
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What is the most effective study design for evaluating treatment efficacy?
What is the most effective study design for evaluating treatment efficacy?
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Which Boolean operator would be used to exclude certain terms from a search?
Which Boolean operator would be used to exclude certain terms from a search?
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How can you effectively limit results to only randomized controlled trials in CINAHL?
How can you effectively limit results to only randomized controlled trials in CINAHL?
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What is the benefit of combining keywords with subject headings in a literature search?
What is the benefit of combining keywords with subject headings in a literature search?
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When should the Boolean operator 'AND' be used during searches?
When should the Boolean operator 'AND' be used during searches?
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What is a primary reason for evaluating search results after conducting a search?
What is a primary reason for evaluating search results after conducting a search?
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What is the first step in developing a search strategy?
What is the first step in developing a search strategy?
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Which Boolean term should be used to narrow your search by combining different concepts?
Which Boolean term should be used to narrow your search by combining different concepts?
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What does PICO stand for in evidence-based practice?
What does PICO stand for in evidence-based practice?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of a keyword search?
Which of the following is a characteristic of a keyword search?
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What is a subject heading in database searches?
What is a subject heading in database searches?
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What does truncation do in a database search?
What does truncation do in a database search?
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Which search strategy would best help in finding studies on "teenagers" and "ADHD"?
Which search strategy would best help in finding studies on "teenagers" and "ADHD"?
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What is a primary advantage of using subject headings in a search?
What is a primary advantage of using subject headings in a search?
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Which type of question focuses on understanding the cause of a health condition?
Which type of question focuses on understanding the cause of a health condition?
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Which Boolean operator allows you to include results containing either of the concepts?
Which Boolean operator allows you to include results containing either of the concepts?
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Study Notes
Developing a Search Strategy
- The first step in developing a search strategy is to identify the key concepts in your research question.
- You can use Boolean terms like AND to combine concepts & narrow your search.
- OR can be used to broaden your search by including synonyms.
- NOT excludes certain terms from your search.
- Truncation replaces one or more letters with a symbol to search for word variations.
PICO Framework
- PICO stands for Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome.
- PICO helps to structure your clinical question, making it easier to find relevant research.
- It allows you to identify the key elements of your search question.
- To find studies on "teenagers" and "ADHD," the best search strategy would be "teen AND ADHD."
Keyword Search vs Subject Headings
- Keyword search finds a large number of results, including less relevant articles.
- Subject headings are labels assigned by an indexer to describe the content of an article.
- Subject headings improve the relevance of search results.
Types of Search Strategies
- Aetiology questions focus on understanding the cause of a health condition.
- Therapy questions focus on the effectiveness of treatments.
- Diagnosis questions focus on the accuracy of diagnostic tests.
- Prognosis questions focus on the course of a disease.
Selecting Databases
- CINAHL is used for nursing and allied health literature.
- Cochrane Library is the best resource for high-quality systematic reviews.
- PubMed and Medline are well-known for biomedical and health literature.
- Google Scholar is a good option for a broader search across different disciplines, but be aware of its limitations.
Searching Techniques
- Wildcard search accounts for different spellings of a word.
- Medline databases use specific search tags like ".tw" for "text words" and ".mp" for "multiple purpose search" (title, abstract, subject headings).
Evaluating Search Results
- It is essential to evaluate your search results to refine and improve their relevance.
- Limit your search by using publication type filters to find specific study types, such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in CINAHL.
- For comprehensive searches, combine keywords and subject headings.
Essential Tips
- Choose databases relevant to your research question.
- Boolean operators can narrow down or broaden your search results based on keywords.
- The library's advanced search features offer more detailed and focused searches.
- The PICO framework is a useful tool for building searches in CINAHL.
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Description
Explore the essential strategies for developing an effective search strategy in research. Learn about key concepts, the PICO framework, and the differences between keyword search and subject headings to enhance your research skills. Master these techniques to refine your search results and improve the relevancy of your findings.
