Searching Databases using a PICO Question
Getting Started with Searching
There are many different ways to search for information in databases.
Here is one way to get you started with searching:
- Identify main concepts for your topic. Conduct a search using keywords. Identify relevant results.
- Figure out the terms that the database uses for your concepts by seeing the subject headings or MeSH terms found in records of relevant results and also listed under Refine Results (EBSCO databases).
- Conduct a second search using subject headings. Searching with subject headings can retrieve even more relevant results.
If a database has a thesaurus (CINAHL has CINAHL Headings), you can browse it for subject headings, see the scope note or definition of a subject heading, and see related terms that you might use.
Search Tips:
- Keep track of the terms you've searched to avoid repeating searches.
- 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.
Finding Specific Articles or Journals
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"
- Periodical List (PL)
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.
SEARCH TIPS
| SEARCH TECHNIQUE | RESULTS |
|---|---|
| Phrase Searching: Quotations are placed around a phrase. | Phrase Searching Example: "inhaled corticosteroid" returns articles containing the exact phrase in the order it is typed. |
| Add concepts to your search string using the Boolean operator AND. | Boolean Operator AND Example: "pediatric patient" AND asthma returns articles discussing both concepts. |
| Add alternate concepts to your search string using the Boolean operator OR. | Boolean Operator OR Example: "physical activity" OR "physical exercise" returns articles that only mention physical activity or articles that only mention physical exercise. |
| Truncation: An asterisk truncates the term and commands the database to search for the term with any possible ending. | Truncation Example: medicat* returns articles containing medication, medicate, medicating |
| Wildcard: A letter is replaced with a question mark (?) within a word. |
Wildcard Example: wom?n returns articles containing woman, women |