Guides: Evidence Based Practice: An Introduction: Searching the Evidence

Major Steps in a Search

Create a well-defined question [PICO]
Brainstorm and gather synonyms
Construct the search strategy
Select database(s)
Tailor search strategy to database(s)
Save search & export results to reference manager

Gather Synonyms

Think broadly and abstractly!

Terms with the same meaning
- Hypertension/High blood pressure
Terms with alternate spellings
- Leukemia/Leukaemia
Complex concepts described inconsistently
- Long-term, patient-reported satisfaction…/Patients’ experiences with…
Umbrella terms and specific names
- Sexually transmitted disease/genital warts, syphilis
Keywords and database-specific subject terms
- Cancer, tumor/Neoplasm (MeSH)

Construct Search Strategies

Construct search by combining concepts with Boolean operators. Use keywords and subject terms in combination.

Boolean Logic Operators:

AND	limits results, results must include both concepts	stoma AND bowel cancer
OR	more results, results can include either concept	stoma OR colostomy
NOT	excludes concept(s) from results	java NOT coffee

Diagram of AND OR NOT Boolean Operators

Decretive Image of What Boolean Operators Do

Tailor Search Strategy to the Database

Understand different vendor interfaces (EBSCO publishes CINAHL and PsycINFO, Elsevier publishes Scopus, Medline is part of PubMed)
Differentiate between keywords and subject headings (PubMed uses Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), Scopus only uses keywords, CINAHL uses subject headings)
Different databases, different subject headings
Know if the content is peer-reviewed (Medline = all peer-reviewed, CINAHL and PubMed include non-peer-reviewed material)

Searching Grey Literature

OpenGrey: Open access system in Europe which contains grey literature bibliographical references produced in Europe. Includes technical or research reports, doctoral dissertations, some conference papers, some official publications, and other types of grey literature covers science, technology, biomedical science, economics, social science, and humanities

Grey Literature Report: Bimonthly publication of The New York Academy of Medicine produced between 1999-2016 (discontinued January 2017). Contains grey literature publications in health services research and selected urban health topics. Cataloged and indexed using MeSH.