Planning a Search Strategy
When entering your search into databases, it is important to note that they may not comprehend it as a regular sentence or your complete research or PICO question. Instead, it is advisable to develop a search strategy using the search terms you have brainstormed.
Example topic: Is the use of Omega 3/Omega 6 better than artificial tears in the treatment of dry eye syndrome?
Step 1: Identify the key concepts:
- Omega 3/Omega 6
- Artificial tears
- Treatment
- Dry eye syndrome
Step 2: Develop search terms for each concept:
- Omega 3/Omega 6: "omega 3" OR "omega 6" OR "fatty acids"
- Artificial tears: "artificial tears" OR "eye drops"
- Treatment: treatment OR therapy OR management
- Dry eye syndrome: "dry eye" OR "dry eye syndrome" OR "keratoconjunctivitis sicca"
Step 3: Combine the search terms using Boolean operators: Use the Boolean operator "AND" to combine the different concepts. Also, consider using parentheses to group similar terms together.
Example search strategy: ("dry eye" OR "dry eye syndrome" OR "keratoconjunctivitis sicca") AND ("omega 3" OR "omega 6" OR "fatty acids") AND ("artificial tears" OR "eye drops") AND (treatment OR therapy OR management)
Step 4: Refine the search strategy (optional): If you find that your search results are too broad or too narrow, you can further refine your search strategy by adding more specific terms or using additional search operators.
Step 5: Apply the search strategy in the chosen database: Enter the refined search strategy into the search bar of the database you are using for your literature review or research. Adjust the search strategy based on the specific syntax and search capabilities of the database.
Remember, this guide serves as a starting point, and you can modify and adapt the search strategy as per your specific needs and the requirements of the database you are using.
Search Tips
Boolean Operators
Most literature databases, including PubMed, use Boolean Operators to combine search words. AND / OR are the most important.
AND is used to combine different concepts or themes, e.g. dry eye and fatty acids
OR is used to connect related themes or synonymous words, e.g. therapy or treatment
Word Truncation
Use the asterisk/star ( * ) to truncate word ending. Truncation enables different forms of a word to be searched for simultaneously, and will increase the number of search results. For example therap* will search for:
therapy
therapies
therapeutic
therapeutically
Phrase Searching
To search for an exact phrase, enclose the phrase in quotation marks ("speech quotes"). For example, "macular degeneration" will retrieve records that contain these three words in that exact order. Use to double quotation marks to search for common phrases as well as multi-word technical terms.
Parentheses
Use parentheses (round brackets) to group compound Boolean statements together. Round brackets are usually used to enclose word combined wth the OR operator. For example,
"dry eye*" and (therap* or treat*)