Title: Mastering Literature Reviews: Expert Search Strategies

Crafting a literature review is akin to navigating a labyrinth of knowledge. It requires not only
diligence but also adept search strategies to unearth relevant scholarly works. However, the arduous
task of sifting through countless articles and synthesizing information often leaves many researchers
overwhelmed. Fear not, for we are here to guide you through the intricate process of conducting a
literature review with ease.

The first step in mastering literature reviews is understanding the significance of effective search
strategies. With an abundance of information available across various platforms, honing in on
pertinent resources can be daunting. That's where strategic searching comes into play. By employing
targeted search techniques, researchers can streamline their quest for scholarly literature, saving both
time and effort.

One of the most efficient search strategies involves utilizing specialized databases tailored to your
field of study. These repositories house a wealth of peer-reviewed articles, journals, and research
papers, offering a treasure trove of valuable insights. Additionally, leveraging advanced search
operators can further refine your results, allowing you to pinpoint specific keywords, authors, or
publication dates with precision.

Furthermore, mastering the art of Boolean logic can significantly enhance your search prowess. By
strategically combining search terms using operators such as "AND," "OR," and "NOT," researchers
can construct intricate queries that yield targeted results. This systematic approach enables them to
uncover relevant literature while filtering out extraneous information effectively.

Moreover, don't underestimate the power of citation chaining and reference mining. Delving into the
reference lists of seminal works can lead you down a rabbit hole of interconnected research,
unveiling a network of scholarly discourse ripe for exploration. Similarly, citation indexing tools can
help identify influential papers that have cited or been cited by your initial sources, providing
valuable context and expanding your research horizon.

Nevertheless, despite the plethora of search strategies at your disposal, navigating the labyrinth of
literature remains a formidable challenge. That's where ⇒ StudyHub.vip ⇔ comes to the rescue.
Our team of experienced professionals specializes in crafting meticulous literature reviews tailored to
your specific requirements. With their expertise and attention to detail, they'll alleviate the burden of
literature review writing, allowing you to focus on advancing your research agenda.

In conclusion, mastering literature reviews requires not only diligence but also adept search
strategies. By leveraging specialized databases, Boolean logic, citation chaining, and reference
mining, researchers can streamline their quest for scholarly literature. However, for those who seek
expert assistance, ⇒ StudyHub.vip ⇔ offers a beacon of hope. Let us guide you through the
intricacies of literature review writing, ensuring your scholarly endeavors shine bright amidst the sea
of research.
Pharmacist Interventions and Medication Reviews at Care Homes - Improving Med. Is it trying to
build on many previous studies, or is it identifying the gaps in previous studies, or is it doing both.
The method is not a guarantee for speed, since speed depends on many factors, including experience.
The difference in number of terms is even higher considering that many synonyms in MeSH are
permuted terms (i.e., inversions of phrases using commas). Your contribution is to organize the
concepts from the sources into a coherent argument or narrative that incorporates your views.
Because of the complexity of the Embase thesaurus, Emtree, which contains much more specific
thesaurus terms than the MEDLINE Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) thesaurus, translation from
Emtree to MeSH is easier than the other way around. Elements in a search strategy do not
necessarily follow the patient, intervention, comparison, outcome (PICO) structure or any other
related structure. It helps plan and specify how you will navigate the systematic review process and
stay on course. A methodology for creating exhaustive search strategies has been created that
describes all steps of the search process, starting with a question and resulting in thorough search
strategies in multiple databases. An annotated Works Cited list, on the other hand, is just an
alphabetized list of sources with summaries and evaluations (annotations). Using appropriate subject
headings enhances your search and will help you to find more results on your topic. This lays a solid
basis for the rest of your paper. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality The Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) publishes evidence-based information on health care
outcomes; quality; and cost, use, and access. But priority will be given for our Year 4 students for
their scholarly projects. Isn’t it true that writing necessitates a greater amount of effort. An easier
way is just to drop us a message on our Live ChatBox on the bottom right of the page. The search for
references to include in an SR should be very sensitive: no included reference should be missed. The
Lit Review should include the most relevant related studies and demonstrate an understanding of
both key past research and practices in the subject and promising current research and practices.
Keeping these notes will help you avoid this nightmare in the future. Our method, instead, uses
single-line searches, which is critical to its success. A discussion of your knowledge about the topic
under study A discussion of your knowledge that is supported by the research literature. Different
outcomes are desired for different types of research questions. The thesaurus of the database is
searched for matching index terms for each key concept. Results of the method Whether this
method results in exhaustive searches where no important article is missed is difficult to determine,
because the number of relevant articles is unknown for any topic. Documenting searches for
traditional (narrative) literature reviews is not essential but will help you stay organized and perhaps
save you some time. PICO is a search framework commonly used in the health sciences to focus
clinical questions. Many of the steps described are not new, but together, they form a strong method
creating high-quality, robust searches in a relatively short time frame. Different areas of your study
may be divided into subsections that focus on specific aspects of your topic. The library was pro-
active in adopting a new service model as it took cognisance of the fact that there would be a greater
emphasis on supporting academics and their research; and ensuring that library staff were
appropriately skilled to support these services into the future (Kealy, 2009: 573). Limitations of the
method One disadvantage of single-line searches compared to multi-line search strategies is that
errors are harder to recognize.
The next two posts will cover tips and tricks on creating a topic, searching the literature and
organising your literature. What kind of specialist input can be beneficial for the management of FM
patients? 6. The Lichtenstein technique, for example, is a repair method for inguinal hernias. Nursing
Care of Patients with Life Threatening Conditions, High Acuity Situat. DIAGNOSTIC TESTS for
neurological patients.pptx 2. DIAGNOSTIC TESTS for neurological patients.pptx Pharmacist
Interventions and Medication Reviews at Care Homes - Improving Med. If additional papers have
been identified through other non-database methods (i.e., checking references in included studies),
results that were not identified by the database searches should be examined. One good strategy to
identify missing “OR”s is to go to the web page containing the full search strategy, as translated by
the database, and using Ctrl-F search for “AND.” Check whether the occurrences of the “AND”
operator are deliberate. The symbols may vary in different databases - See the Database search tips
guide for details or check the Help link in any database. The search can be more focused by
combining the abbreviation with an important word that is relevant to its meaning or by using the
Boolean “NOT” to exclude frequently observed, clearly irrelevant results. Following the method
outlined below simplifies the process: Create single-line queries in a text document (not combining
multiple record sets), which allows immediate checking of the relevance of retrieved references and
efficient optimization. To help ensure term completeness, we developed a novel optimization
technique that is mainly based on comparing the results retrieved by thesaurus terms with those
retrieved by the free-text search words to identify potentially relevant candidate search terms.
Macros in Microsoft Word have been developed to convert syntaxes between databases and
interfaces almost automatically. Adding an element to a search strategy increases the chance of
missing relevant references. Though it is generally recommended that searchers search both
MEDLINE and Embase, most use MEDLINE as the starting point. Using student-created research
has a number of drawbacks: 1) they are frequently unpublished and only available through
interlibrary loan; 2) the student conducting the research may not be a seasoned researcher. Creating
search strategies for systematic reviews, finding the best balance between sensitivity and specificity,
and translating search strategies between databases is challenging. The library was pro-active in
adopting a new service model as it took cognisance of the fact that there would be a greater emphasis
on supporting academics and their research; and ensuring that library staff were appropriately skilled
to support these services into the future (Kealy, 2009: 573). Journal citation A summary of the
bibliographic data. What flaws do you believe should be addressed in your paper. The authors have
established a method that describes step by step the process of developing a systematic search
strategy as needed in the systematic review. We are a strong believer in academic integrity and have
a “zero tolerance policy” on plagiarism. Subject headings are not available for every topic, and it is
best to only select them if they relate closely to your area of interest. However, to perform a sensitive
search, all relevant variations of the narrower terms must be searched as free-text keywords in the
title or abstract, in addition to relying on the exploded thesaurus term. For our method, an interface
that allows searching with proximity operators is desirable, and full functionality of the thesaurus,
including explosion of narrower terms, is crucial. Different outcomes are desired for different types
of research questions. It should be used with caution as you may inadvertently exclude relevant
references. Searching for thesaurus terms NOT free-text terms will help identify missed free-text
terms in the title or abstract. As we aimed to describe the creation of systematic searches in full
detail, the method starts at a basic level with the analysis of the research question and the creation of
search terms. Readers who are new to SR searching are advised to follow all steps described. You
will need to test the strategy along the way to ensure that you are finding relevant articles. When
adding terms to an existing search strategy, pay close attention to the position of the cursor. There are
two main ways to search the database: --- select General Search to search for articles by subject term,
author name, journal title, or author affiliation --- select Cited Reference Search to search for articles
that cite an author or article that you specify.
With this software, systematic review teams can screen citations, full text review, risk of bias, and etc
for a systematic review. However, as parentheses and field codes are typed before the search terms
are added (step 10), errors in parentheses can be prevented. Studies with fewer than 30 patients were
excluded unless the study addressed a subject of particular interest, or where there was a paucity of
information. As somebody who has knowledge in that field, they are able to guide you to where the
gaps are for investigation. Results of the method Whether this method results in exhaustive searches
where no important article is missed is difficult to determine, because the number of relevant articles
is unknown for any topic. These are useful, particularly for current information. Subject headings
(index terms) Identify appropriate subject headings (index terms). It is based on a desktop program
that syncs back and forth to the cloud. Different areas of your study may be divided into subsections
that focus on specific aspects of your topic. This record could be a document, table or spreadsheet
with: The names of the sources you search and which provider you accessed them through - eg
Medline (Ovid), Web of Science (Thomson Reuters). Their conclusions should be regarded with
greater skepticism than previously published research. Treat each component as a separate concept
(there are usually between 2-4 concepts). The library also runs classes on how to improve your
literature searching strategy if you would first want to rather try that. Brainstorm keywords related to
your topic, then enter your search statement here. Exclusion and merger following removal of
duplicates yielded 363 citations which were then further screened by their abstracts. Search Strategy
The Search Strategy Builder is a tool designed to teach you how to create a search string using
Boolean logic. This can be done after included references have been determined by the authors of the
systematic review. It helps plan and specify how you will navigate the systematic review process and
stay on course. They are also useful in helping you to identify the concepts and terms you will use in
your literature search. Single-line search strategies also allow easy translation to other syntaxes using
find-and-replace technology to update field codes and other syntax elements or using macros (step
13). Also consider singular and plural forms of words, variant spellings, acronyms and relevant index
terms (subject headings). Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Based Practice (EBP) Database The
Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database allows you to search simultaneously, a wide range of
summarized and appraised evidence, to inform your practice. Subject headings are not available for
every topic, and it is best to only select them if they relate closely to your area of interest. For the
first part see Slaying the (literature review) beast: Part 1. It deserves capitals, because it is truly one
of the beasts of academic writing. You will need to adjust your strategy for each database your
search. Using appropriate subject headings enhances your search and will help you to find more
results on your topic. How should patients with FM contribute to their management? 8 What are the
benefits of patient education regarding understanding and management of FM? 9. Joanna Briggs
Institute Evidence Based Practice (EBP) Database The Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database allows
you to search simultaneously, a wide range of summarized and appraised evidence, to inform your
practice. Apart from checking these protocol databases, search UM Library databases like PubMed,
CINAHL, or PsycINFO.
When searching for a more general thesaurus term, the more specific (narrower) terms in the
branches below that term will also be searched (this is frequently referred to as “exploding” a
thesaurus term). Translation of complex and exhaustive queries between different databases can be
very time consuming and cumbersome. While it is not a database and is not designed to input a
search, you should be able to cut and paste the results into most databases' search boxes. Any change
to the search strategy should be done in the log document, assuring that the search strategy in the log
is always the most recent. 7. Identify appropriate index terms in the thesaurus of the first database
Searches should start by identifying appropriate thesaurus terms for the desired elements. Sometimes
clues can be found in the number of results, either when the number of results is much higher or
lower than expected or when many retrieved references are not relevant. Adjacency searching Use
adjacency operators to search by phrase or with two or more words in relation to one another. A
word plugin allows you to insert a formatted citation from your references while writing your
document. The described method can be used to create complex and comprehensive search strategies
for different databases and interfaces, such as those that are needed when searching for relevant
references for systematic reviews, and will assist both information specialists and practitioners when
they are searching the biomedical literature. In this article, we describe the method developed at
Erasmus University Medical Center (MC) and demonstrate its use through an example search.
CONCLUSIONS With the described method, searchers can gain confidence in their search
strategies by finding many relevant words and creating exhaustive search strategies quickly. Use the
Please Log In or Create an Account button to create a Cochrane account or connect an exising
accountto the University's subscription. Using the Cochrane methodology, the course is perfect for
new and experienced review authors alike. Top right quarter select library resources to search and
rectangle describing resources to search library catalogue relevant journal articles and other resource.
They may have ideas about terms or concepts you may have missed. However, as parentheses and
field codes are typed before the search terms are added (step 10), errors in parentheses can be
prevented. You will need to adjust your strategy for each database your search. Single-line search
strategies can be easily adapted by adding or dropping a term without having to recode numbers of
record sets, which would be necessary in multi-line searches. You will need to test the strategy along
the way to ensure that you are finding relevant articles. Basic search strategies will be created to use
in many, mostly smaller, databases, because such niche databases often do not have extensive thesauri
or advanced syntax options. At Erasmus MC, researchers and clinicians are involved during the
complete process of structuring and optimizing the search strategy. The thesaurus of the database is
searched for matching index terms for each key concept. It is meant to convince the reader of the
importance of your study. In other words, a research article uses expert sources as support for your
thesis, whereas a Literature Review discusses the sources. Our methodology works best if used in an
interface that allows proximity searching. They are also useful in helping you to identify the concepts
and terms you will use in your literature search. When the desired outcome is survival, articles about
mortality may be relevant. 10. Use database-appropriate syntax, with parentheses, Boolean operators,
and field codes Different interfaces require different syntaxes, the special set of rules and symbols
unique to each database that define how a correctly constructed search operates. Newspaper articles
tend to target a general (not specialized) audience; hence, they will not be of use to your Lit Review.
Alternatively, many interfaces offer a certain code to replace zero or one characters, allowing a
search for “pediatric” or “paediatric” as “p?ediatric.” Table 1 provides a detailed description of the
syntax for different interfaces. It is recommended that searchers with access to an interface with
proximity searching capabilities select one of those as the initial database to develop and optimize
the search strategy. Nursing Care of Patients with Life Threatening Conditions, High Acuity Situat.