Step Six - Refining Your Search Strategy
The approach outlined in the previous five steps should have left you with a fairly manageable set of results. However, you may wish to further reduce the number of articles retrieved, or restrict your results to certain types of research methodology or types of patients. You can do this in one of two ways.
The first is to add another concept to your search strategy. For example you could refine the search strategy on bed sores and mattresses to include elderly people. Identify synonyms and MESH headings relating to elderly people and combine them using the 'OR' boolean operator, and then combine this stage of your search with the earlier sets using the 'AND' boolean operator.
Alternatively, depending on your search interface, you could use the limit function. This allows you to restrict your search results in various ways e.g. by age, year, language or publication type. The publication type is most useful in selecting types of research methodolgoy e.g. randomised controlled trials or systematic reviews.
Using the limit feature, practice limiting your results to systematic reviews by publication type. Notice the effect this has on the articles retrieved. Display the results, and check their relevance to the original search question.
Also practice:
- Saving your results
- Emailing the results to yourself
- Saving the search strategy
To complete this question you will need to search Medline database. Remember to use the 'toggle' function to move between web pages. Once you have completed the task, 'toggle' back to this page to continue to tutorial. |
Welcome back!
You have now a good overview of the techniques required to undertake a well structured search. Now for a few final tips before you practice on a search question of your own.