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1. Determine a clear and focused question 2. Describe the articles that can answer the question 3. Decide which key concepts address the different elements of the question 4. Decide which elements should be used for the best results 5. Choose an appropriate database to start with 6. Document the search process in a text document 7. Identify appropriate index terms in the thesaurus of the database |
8. Identify synonyms in the thesaurus 9. Add variations in search terms 10. Use database-appropriate syntax, with parentheses, Boolean operators, and field codes 11. Optimize the search 12. Evaluate the initial results 13. Check for errors 14. Translate to other databases 15. Test and reiterate |
Adapted from Bramer et al. (2018)
You can make sure your search is comprehensive (i.e. be sure you're not missing any relevant studies) by combining the keywords you brainstorm with the subject headings each database uses to categorize articles. These headings or tags are added to articles to make them easier to find and group.
In Medline/PubMed, the headings are called MESH
In CINAHL, the headings are called CINAHL headings
In SportDiscus, the headings can be found in the Thesaurus.
Search different spellings and plural/singular
An asterisk (*) or truncation symbols means I don't care how it ends
e.g. behav*
Search phrases
Use quotation marks " " to search for a particular phrase e.g. "pain management"
Proximity searching
Proximity searching lets you search for two words near each other e.g. ankle N2 sprain* will look for those words within two words of each other in any order
Using AND/OR
Avoid typing sentences into the search box. Always use AND or OR between different ideas:
NOTE: These strategies work in MOST databases, but some databases use different symbols. Check the help features of the database you are using, or contact the Library Service Desk for help.
| Keywords | Subject headings |
|---|---|
|
Natural language words that describe your topic Pro: Easy to combine terms Pro: Can search for them anywhere in the source Con: Can be difficult to narrow results Con: Might retrieve irrelevant results |
Pre-defined vocabulary that describes your topic Pro: Can quickly rule out irrelevant sources Pro: Often retrieves more accurate results Con: Harder to combine terms (need to know which terms exist) Con: Doesn't always find the most recent articles |
You can improve your search results by combining your keywords with the subject headings that each database applies to articles. These headings are added in order to tag articles that contain specific content, making them easier to find.
In PsycINFO, the subject headings are called APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms
In Medline/PubMed, the subject headings are called MESH
In CINAHL, the subject headings are called CINAHL headings
In SportDiscus, the subject headings can be found in the Thesaurus.
Example:
| You Keyword | Database Subject Heading |
| cancer | neoplasms (in Medline) |
| concussion | brain concussion (in SPORTDiscus) |
| therapy | therapeutics (in SPORTDiscus and Medline) |
Strategy 1: Review the references of relevant articles you've found
Rubio, C., Osca, A., Recio, P., Urien, B., & Peiró, J. M. (2015). Work-family conflict, self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion: A test of longitudinal effects. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 31(3), 147–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpto.2015.06.004
Copy and paste titles from this list into LibrarySearch or Google Scholar to find them.
Strategy 2: Use Google Scholar or Scopus to find out who cited the articles you've found
Google Scholar
Scopus
