LibGuides: HS 3331: Health Systems: Search Strategies

Research Tutorials

about the research process.

Listing of database search commands
Database Search Commands
Search by keywords or phrases.
Maximize your keyword searches with Boolean searching: AND (searches for all terms) OR (searches for either term) NOT (excludes term from results)
Use "quotation marks" to search for whole phrases.
Use the database’s built in limiting features. Some databases have a filter for full- text or scholarly journals.
Consider truncation. The symbol used is usually . COUNSEL will retrieve: counseling, counsel, counselors, counselor, counsel**led, etc.
Try using the database’s subject terms. Those are listed in the database’s thesaurus, or they may be listed near the article abstract.

There are many different ways to search for information in databases.

Here is one way to get you started with searching:

Search Tips:

Keep track of the terms you've searched to avoid repeating searches.
Look up subject or Mesh terms for your search terms and use those as keywords.
Consider using a citation manager, such as Refworks, to export citations of relevant results along the way.

Need help with searching? Ask a Librarian for help.

Start Your Research
- Searches just about everything the library owns.
  - Books, eBooks, Subject Database (medical, literature, social science etc...), Streaming Video, etc...
- SYR is great when you aren't sure which databases to search.
Databases
- Searches fewer resources such as journals, magazines, and newspapers in a specific discipline like Nursing.
- Searching a specific database is great if you need a specific type of resource like an article from an academic journal in a specific field of study.

If you come across a citation to an article and you'd like to track down its full text, here are a couple of options:

Start Your Research (SYR)
When searching for the full text of an article, start by searching the "title of an article" (enclosed in "quotation marks") in SYR.

"qualitative study of determinants of ptsd treatment initiation"

Journals/Periodical List (Browzine)
If you're unable to locate the fulltext by searching the article title in SYR, next try searching the "journal title" in the Periodical List, which is a searchable list of print/online journals accessible through the University Libraries.