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NURS 655 Child & Adolescent Health Nursing II

Faculty Members: Joseph Foley, Linda Kerr

Construct Search Strategies

Combine concepts using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT). Use keywords and subject terms in combination.       

  
  • Use AND to search for specific terms, usually retrieves fewer results.  



     
  • Use OR to search for synonyms or variations of terms, usually retrieves more search results.



     
  • Use NOT to exclude concept(s) from results. Use sparingly as it might exclude potential useful information.

(children AND parents)

 

 

 

(youth OR teenagers OR adolescents)

 

 

java NOT coffee

    beaver AND duck = platypus

source: http://i.imgur.com/8BFAq.png

Major Steps in a Search

  1. Create a well-defined question [PICOT, PICO]
  2. Brainstorm and gather synonyms and subject headings (when available)
  3. Consider the inclusion and exclusion criteria
  4. Construct the search strategy using Boolean operators
  5. Select database(s)
  6. Tailor search strategy to database(s)
  7. Save search & export results to reference manager (e.g., Zotero)

Gathering Synonyms

Think broadly and abstractly!

  • Terms with the same meaning
  • Terms with alternate spellings
  • Complex concepts described inconsistently
  • Umbrella terms and specific names
  • Keywords and database-specific subject terms (e.g., MeSH)
  • If a specific setting cannot be found, consider comparable settings (e.g., other cities)

Too Few Results? Too Many Results?

If there are few or no search results,

  • Add other terms using the AND operator
  • Add more OR operators to search for related words/synonyms
  • Use proximity operators 
  • Search multiple databases
  • Use Cited By searching

If there are too search results,

  • Consider limiting your search to English-language publications
  • Limit your fields to title, abstract, or subjects
  • Add more keywords to your search strategy
  • Limit the search to the U.S.---this limiter may not always be available