Literature Searching: Search Techniques

The operators for database searching are: AND, OR, and NOT, known as Boolean operators which allow you to try different combinations of search terms or subject headings.

Databases often show Boolean operators as buttons or drop-down menus that you can click to combine your search terms or results.

AND: AND combines search terms to retrieve articles that include all of the concepts of a search. The use of AND reduces the number of search results

• For example: Stroke AND Rehabilitation 

OR: OR combines search terms to retrieve articles that use any of the terms you are looking for. The use of OR increases the number of search results.

• You would use OR when
  • multiple terms may describe the population
    • infant OR child 
  • where multiple spellings or forms exist
    • paediatrics OR pediatrics
    • physiotherapist OR physical therapist
• For example: Infant OR Child

NOT: NOT excludes terms from the set of search results

• NOT is generally discouraged, since it can unintentionally exclude relevant articles from your results if the article discusses both concepts. The use of NOT reduces the number of search results
• For example: Upper Extremity NOT Lower Extremity will exclude all Lower Extremity results

Truncation

• symbols can vary between databases but are usually a * or a $
• by truncating you can expand a term to include multiple spellings or relevant forms of the term
  • for example: therap* will give you:
    • therapy, therapies, therapist, therapeutic, therapeutics, and any other forms of the word 
• it can retrieve irrelevant results if not used carefully

Filters

• the research database filters allow you to use criteria to restrict your results to be more relevant 
• filters include such criteria as:
  • age groups
  • publication dates/range
  • language
  • Publication type (eg., review, randomised clinical trial)

Phrase Searching

• placing quotation marks "..." around a phrase instructs the database to search those words in that order and with that spelling.
  •  for example: if you searched "feeding disorders" the results would only display citations that contained those 2 words together instead of separating those 2 terms apart.

Proximity Searching

• in the OVID databases (Medline, PsycInfo, Embase) you can to use the operator ADJ, which means the words have to be adjacent
  •  for example: you could search feeding ADJ disorders to find results with the phrase "respiratory infection".
  • you can add a number to the ADJ, for eg ADJ2, ADJ3, etc,. This means ADJ2 will find the terms in any order and with one word (or none) between them, the ADJ3 will find terms in any order and with two words (or fewer) between them.
    •  for example:
      • respiratory ADJ infection results would include the word respiratory infection found together
      • respiratory ADJ2 infection could find: respiratory infection and respiratory tract infection, respiratory viral infection, 
      • respiratory ADJ3 infection could find: the same as using ADJ2 and respiratory syncytial virus infection,
• in CINAHL the N operator is the same as OVID ADJ operator
  • note: you do have to untick the "Suggest Search Terms" box above the search field for the N operator to work

Wild Cards

• As well as truncation other wildcards are available to use on some databases. These wildcards can differ from database to database so it is worth checking their help pages 
  • symbols used inside or at the end of the word to replace a character
    • for example: use # - wom#n will find woman and women
  • symbols used inside or at the end of a word to replace zero or one character
    • for example: use ? - p?ediatric will find both paediatric and pediatric 

The library staff are able to help and advise you on all of your literature searching needs so please don't hesitate to contact us

Book a Consultation with a librarian for further help with your literature searching.

• Use the database links provided on the library webpage which are customised to provide full-text access to any results you find that we have access to through our library resources
  • this will be shown by either a Barwon Health Library logo or a hyperlink next to the result which will either direct you to the full text access, or to our Article Request form where you can request we supply you with a copy
• Don't limit your search to 'Full-Text Only' on databases because the databases don't provide the full text access to all journals so you will potentially exclude relevant articles from your results
• When you find a relevant article
  • click on the "Related articles" to see closely related work, or
  • click "Cited by" to see newer papers that have referenced your relevant article, or
  • look at what they're citing in their "References" section
  • search for author's name and see what else they have written
• Database Tutorials
  • Pubmed - Pubmed Tutorial
  • CINAHL - Basic Searching Tutorial
  • Medline/Embase/PsycINFO - OVID Platform Tutorials​
  • Cochrane Library - How to use the Cochrane Library
    • Conducting an Intervention Review
  • Trip PRO - How to use Trip