HOW TO SEARCH EFFECTIVELY: Summary
Simple search. Always start simple: Many search engines enhance your terms. You may get other insights from these first results
More Specific? If too many results - find terms to describe additional aspects (concepts) of the topic. Apply limits.
More Sensitive? If too few results - find better alternative terms and keywords for each aspect of the topic
Complex Strategies Create these for very precise (Specific) searches or for very all-inclusive (Sensitive) searches
Example Used Does aspirin prevent heart attacks in elderly men?
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SIMPLE SEARCH
Why do this ? It's quick and search engines often enhance your search.
They might:
You can also find alternative or better terms in some of the results presented
Enter Terms Use simple versions of the most important terms aspirin heart attack
Live Examples Go to NHS Evidence Go to Trip Go to Pubmed Go to Google Scholar Go to Google
The search is for aspirin AND Heart AND attack, All three terms must be present and most give relevant results.
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NHS Literature Searching Course Module 3 How do I start to develop a search Strategy?
Too Many Results ?
Refine the Search Making the search more Specific
1: Add additional terms
New Strategy: heart attack aspirin prevention elderly
2: Use phrases:
New Strategy: aspirin "Heart attack" prevention
3: Set Limits
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Too Few Results ?
Refine the Search Making the search more Sensitive
1: Add additional alternative terms
New Strategy: aspirin ("heart attack" OR "Myocardial infarction" ) ( prevention OR prophylaxis)
2: Why use Brackets?
Compare these 2 pubmed searches : asthma children OR adults asthma (children OR adults)
3a: Make minor terms less specific ie more general
Looking for Spider allergy in astronauts.... Compare these 2 searches:
"Spider Allergy" astronauts with more general allergy astronauts
OR if your focus is really on spider allergy try "Spider allergy" adults
3b: Omit the minor terms
If you are looking for a rarified topic, then try just searching for it as a single aspect/concept.
So just search for "Spider allergy" or even spider allergy
The search may then be too broad so you might search the main term and then exclude irrelevant items
So to get rid of spider mite results try Spider allergy -"spider mite" In google a minus sign is used for 'NOT'
For more information see Complex Searching Tab or the google guide below
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See the Complex Search tab to learn about very thorough searching and the 'Resources' Tab for more handouts
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