Articles and databases
Searching in databases
- PubmedPubMed, produced by the National Library of Medicine, includes citations for articles in medicine, odontology and nursing.
- Cochrane LibraryThe Cochrane Library consists of a collection of evidence-based medicine databases where you can search for systematic reviews.
- ScopusIn Scopus you search peer-reviewed journals, conference papers and book series covering nearly all subject areas. You can also search for citations.
- Web of ScienceIn Web of Science you can search for articles within most subject areas and you can also see who cited a certain article.
Search techniques
Search techniques
This section describes methods you can use to search more efficiently and gives you guidance on:
- including synonyms in your search block
- combining your concepts in a search strategy
- searching for phrases
- searching for alternative word endings and spellings
Search operators - Boolean operators
Use search operators, like OR to include synonyms, to create your search blocks, and AND to combine your search blocks into your search strategy.
Include synonyms with OR
experiences OR perceptions
- retrieves any of the search terms in the statement
- widens the search to ensure you don't miss studies
- your key concepts and their synonyms combined becomes your search block
Combine search blocks with AND
pregnancy AND violence
- retrieves all of the concepts in the statement
- narrows the search and makes it more focused
- your search blocks combined together becomes your search strategy
Phrase searching
"intimate partner violence"
- searches a specific phrase
- excludes records where the search terms aren't written as a phrase
- narrows the search and makes it more focused
Truncation
pregnan*
- Often done with an asterisk (*)
- searches for word variations - example above searches both pregnant and pregnancy
- widens the search to ensure you don't miss studies
Search techniques in PubMed
Learn how to use boolean operators, truncation and phrase searches in PubMed.
Building block search strategy
If you're conducting a literature review as part of your essay or thesis you need to create broad searches to find as much research on your topic as possible. This can be done using the building blocks strategy. In this video from John Hopkins University you can learn how to do it in PubMed.
Save your search in PubMed
- Click on "Log in" in the upper right corner and
- Scroll down to "Sign in" to create an account.
- Save your search by clicking "Create alert" under the search bar.
- Name your search and choose if you want email updates of new results. Click "Save".
You'll find your search under "Dashboard" by clicking your user name.
