Performing a literature search

1. Introduction	5. Boolean operators
2. Search strategies	6. Summary points
3. Search features	7. Useful databases
4. Optional features	8. Further help

Search strategies

In order to find high quality and relevant references from a database search, it is worth taking some time to think about your search strategy beforehand.  To help with this process download a search strategy sheet which will help to both guide you and keep you focused.

So,  start by having a clear idea of the research question you are trying to answer and write this down in your own words.

Example: "What evidence is there that mobile applications are effective in terms of educating people/changing their behaviour?"

You now need to break down this question into specific topic areas in order to be able to identify keywords, phrases, acronyms, synonyms and alternative spellings.

In this case the subject areas are: 

Topic 1: Mobile applications

Topic 2: Effectiveness

 

Identifying keywords and synonyms

Keywords describe subject areas, and having a good set of keywords, will help you to minimize the number of irrelevant returns.There are many sources available which might help you in identifying keywords for your  search. These include dictionaries, textbooks, lecture notes and you could ask your tutor for advice.

Synonyms are words which have the same or similar meaning.

Authors use different words and phrases to describe subject areas. You will need to ensure that you include all synonyms and keywords in your search strategy so that you do not miss potentially relevant documents.

Example:

Mobile applications -  mobile application$, mobile app$, mobile phone, cell phone application$, mobile health, ehealth,  mhealth etc.

Effectiveness - effective$, change behavio?r, education, behaviour change etc.

This is not a comprehensive list as there are no doubt many others that you could include.

You might also want to consider:

Regional variations: Are there are any regional variations in terminology that you need to be aware of? For example, in the UK we might use the phrase “Accident and Emergency”, whilst in the US we would say  “Emergency Room” – it’s important to be aware of these differences when you’re searching keywords and subject headings so that you don’t miss anything.

Differences in spelling: Are there are any regional spelling differences that you might need to consider? For example,  the word organization could be spelt as either "organization" or "organisation" , bearing in mind American spellings.

Old vs new terminology: Have there been any changes in the terminology used to describe your topic over the years? Again, you might need to bear this in mind when searching in order to ensure that you cover all possible words/phrases to cover your topic area. For example,  we no longer use the phrase "mongolism" in society, but rather "down syndrome". However, to be thorough you would want to search both terms.

Words to avoid

Do not use words which are either too general, are abstract or are stop words as this will generate thousands of hits.

Examples of these might include: the, a, an, in, of, or, as well as words such as: management, analyse, importance, discuss etc.

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