When searching for information, it is important to remember that searching is an iterative process. The first step for any research project is to come up with a search plan.
1. Determine your research question and utilize the PICO(T) format.
2. Make a list of possible search terms for each of the concepts in your question.
3. Use the Boolean operators (AND, OR) in your search strategy.
4. Decide where you will search for information. It is a good idea to search more than one place (e.g. CINAHL and PubMed) for information. What other resources might have information about your topic?
5. Revise search strategy as needed and repeat.
For any research question, you will be most successful in finding information if you break the question into separate concepts.
For example, you are interested in finding information about the effect of residency programs on retention of newly hired nurses.
Your initial search in CINAHL might look like this: nurses and residency and retention.
This chart shows how including additional terms changes the search results.
| Search Strategy | Number of Results (as of 04/10/2018) |
|---|---|
| nurses and residency and retention | 194 |
| nurs* and (residency or internship or mentor*) and retention | 810 |
| nurs* and (residency or internship or mentor* or orientation) and retention | 1120 |
| nurs* and (residency or internship or mentor* or orientation) and (retention or job satisfaction) | 1438 |
Search Techniques
When adding an * to the end of a word, this will retrieve alternate word endings:
Look carefully at the article abstract and the database record for additional search terms. In the above example, job satisfaction was added to the search strategy as a related concept for retention.
Translate your research topic into search terms.
1. Make a list of keywords/synonyms for each concept in your research topic. This step is crucial; if relevant terms are missing from a search strategy, you may miss finding key articles. As you begin to read abstracts and articles, start writing down terminology that is used in the article. For any concept, there are probably many ways to describe it.
2. Controlled Vocabulary/Subject Terms
Are there controlled vocabulary terms for your topic? Many databases utilize a controlled vocabulary to index journal article citations. For example, the following table shows some possible terms that are related to designing curriculum for nursing students about geriatrics . The table includes terms for 2 main concepts: curriculum and geriatrics.
Where are these terms found? Look in the database record or click on the link within the database to search/view the entire list. The links names are listed in the table below.
|
Database |
Controlled Vocabulary Terms |
Controlled Vocabulary Terms |
Database Link |
|
Academic Search Elite |
Aging; Old age; Gerontology; Older people; Older patients |
Curriculum planning; Curricula (Courses of study); Curriculum enrichment |
Subject Terms |
|
CINAHL Complete |
Aging; Aged; Geriatrics; |
Curriculum development; Course Content; Teaching Methods |
CINAHL Subject Headings |
|
Education Research Complete |
Geriatrics education; Gerontology; Aging |
Curriculum planning; Teaching Methods |
Thesaurus |
|
ERIC |
Older adults; Aging (Individuals); |
Curriculum Design; Curriculum Development; Educational Strategies |
Thesaurus |
|
Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection |
Aging; Older people; Elder care; Population aging; Geriatrics; Gerontology |
Curriculum planning; Teaching Methods |
Subjects |
|
PubMed |
Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Frail Elderly |
Curriculum; Teaching |
MeSH Database |
3. Think broadly about your topic. This review article is about improving student outcomes in higher education. Is there a recent review article (e.g. literature review, systematic review) related to your topic?
4. Review bibliographies of articles you have located for additional sources.
5. Cited reference search: Who has cited your "perfect" article? Use Scopus or Google Scholar to find this information.
Note: There may be a large difference in "Cited by" numbers. This has to do with "quality control" in Scopus. In Google Scholar, the "Cited by" numbers will include items such as book chapters, dissertations/theses, conference papers, etc.
