Searching - Databases - LibGuides at University of Texas School of Public Health
Librarians recommend using 6 basic practices to make database searches effective.
Conceptualize your search;
Use the appropriate vocabulary;
Combine terms & concepts using Boolean operators;
Revise your search strategy;
Search more than one database;
Learn database search rules & peculiarities.
Try these strategies to see how they improve your database searches. Users can get additional assistance through our Ask a Librarian service.
Database Searching Presentation
Population/Patient/Problem
It is a framework for research questions that helps you focus your research into distinguishable categories.
Research is often conducted to answer a question. The research question must be well formulated to provide focus on a topic that is being investigated effectively. Any search in a database requires analysis of the research question.
Identifying your concepts
Typing the entire research question into a database search bar is not the way databases are designed to be searched. This is because the database utilizes fields and their data values for searching. For each concept, the user must find subject headings and generate keywords that are representative of the concepts.
What are the primary concepts in the research question? Consider what group(s) you will be discussing in your research. Think about what the treatment(s), therapies, intervention(s), or program(s) to be examined. Examine the various factors to be investigated that relate to those treatments/therapies/interventions/programs for the selected population. This process reflects the formulation of the research question itself.
In the question above there are three major concepts: anti-vaping smoking; e-cigarettes; and high school students.
Over the next few pages you will find out how to search for subject headings and generate keywords for each highlighted concept. The next step is to put your subject headings and keywords together with Boolean operators, which you will use to combine concepts together.
Do research on potential databases to search for the research question. In the Databases A-Z list there are descriptions underneath the titles of the databases. Here are a few databases listed below that specialize in different subject domains.
AccessMedicine AccessMedicine from McGraw-Hill is an innovative online resource that provides students, residents, clinicians, researchers, and all health professionals with access to more than 75 medical titles from the best minds in medicine, updated content, thousands of images and illustrations, interactive self-assessment, case files, time-saving diagnostic and point-of-care tools, a comprehensive search platform, and the ability to view from and download content to a mobile device. Updated frequently and expanded continuously by world-renowned physicians, AccessMedicine provides fast, direct access to the information necessary for completing evaluations, diagnoses, and case management decisions, as well as for pursuing research, medical education, or self-assessment and board review..
CINAHL PLUS (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health) with Full Text CINAHL Plus with Full Text is the standard, essential comprehensive index to nursing articles, containing cover-to-cover current full text of more than 400 of the top journals it indexes. It covers alternative and occupational therapy as well. CINAHL also includes some e-books and short monographs, as well as providing more than half a million historical full-text articles dating back to 1937. CINAHL uses a controlled subject vocabulary for better search results. Evidence-based Care Sheets, Quick Lessons, and Continuing Education Units augment the student experience. CINAHL covers nursing, biomedicine, health sciences librarianship, alternative/complementary medicine, consumer health and 17 allied health disciplines.
Index/abstracts of psychological/behavioral sciences literature from 1967 to present.