Chapter 2 - Asking questions and searching for evidence Flashcards
What are the different reasons we might search for evidence?
3 main methods for finding evidence:
- Informal
- Focused, looking for answers
- Searching the literature
Define Informal Searching?
Using tools:
- Specific ‘alert’ service
- General ‘Google alert’
- Twitter feeds
- Sharing articles and sites via social media
Define Focused looking for answers?
- Detailed approach
- Synthesised information sources
- Supports evidence-based care
- Transfer of research findings into practice
Define Searching/surveying the literature?
- Needs knowledge about information resources
- Some basic searching skills
- A simple search of one database can often be enough here
Define Primary Research
From a single research study.
To find them:
- Look at reference lists and hyperlink from secondary sources
- Identify them directly from journal alerts (table-of-contents services etc.)
- Search databases.
Define Secondary Research
Reports ‘synthesised’ findings and usually take the form of a literature review. A literature review will typically:
- examine multiple primary research papers
- summarise the research papers.
- A literature review for example
What is Effective Search Strings?
Health care Databases (e.g., PubMed)
What are simple tools that improve database searches?
- Boolean Operators
- Advanced Search
- Truncation
- Wildcards
Define Boolean Operators
Words placed between search terms to narrow or expand a search (OR, AND, NOT).
Define Advanced Search
Specific parameters (author, title, etc.,).
Define Truncation
Word ending replaced by symbol — (*), (?) or ($) — includes all possible endings.
Define Wildcards
A letter in a word is replaced by a symbol — (*), (?) or ($) — to include alternate spellings
What are other avenues for how to search for evidence?
- Health librarians
- Library resources
- Experts/practitioners
- International information-sharing organisations such as CHAIN (Contact, Help, Advice and Information Network)
- Social media
