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Nursing PhD Student Resource Guide

Planning Your Search

Your Research Question

Key Term:

Key term:

Key term:

Key term:

Alternative terms:

Alternative terms:

Alternative terms:

Alternative terms:

 

 

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion

Exclusion

What literature would fit within the scope of your review?

Age group?
Population?
Type of research?
Geographical limits?

Literature that does not fit the scope of your review

Does not match/satisfy inclusion criteria

Carrying Out Your Search

Combine your keywords and alternative keywords to form a search strategy.
In database searching, “Boolean operators” control how your search terms will interact with each other

Boolean operator

Function

Used in a search

OR

Finds articles that use any of the terms specified—broadens the search

Teenagers OR adolescents OR young people

AND

Finds only articles that use all of the terms specified—narrows the search

Children AND development AND speech

“exact phrase searching”

Finds the phrase exactly as specified

“cognitive behavioral therapy”

Truncat*

Finds any variable word ending

Therap*

Finds: therapy, therapies, therapeutic, etc.

Controlled Vocabularies

Many databases use specialized terminology to standardize and index the content you are searching.  This controlled vocabulary includes a preferred term and variant terms.
A database’s controlled vocabulary term may differ from your keyword. 

Database:  CINAHL

Database:  MEDLINE

Controlled vocabulary:  CINAHL Subject Headings

Stomach Cancer USE: Stomach Neoplasms

 

Blood Pressure Monitor USE: Blood Pressure Devices

 

Emergency Room USE:  Emergency Service

Controlled vocabularyMeSH (Medical Subject Headings)

Stomach Cancer USE:  Stomach Neoplasms

Blood Pressure Monitor USE:  Blood Pressure Monitors

Heart Attack USE:  Myocardial Infarction