Transcript Getting the most out of

Getting the most out of
Aoife Lawton Systems Librarian
March 7th 2011
Learning outcomes
1. Learn how to formulate a search
2. Learn & share tips, tricks for searching
Google, Google Scholar, Advanced
Search
3. Features of some free web resources
4. Evaluation of websites
5. Ways to keep up to date
Boolean Operators
Operator
Databases
Search
Engines
(Google
etc)
AND
AND
+
OR
OR
OR
NOT
NOT
-
ALZHEIMER’S
DEMENTIA
ALZHEIMER’S
Example for using Boolean operator "OR" :
Search query - alzheimer’s OR dementia
Records containing either alzheimer’s or
dementia will be returned. This broadens
the search.
ALZHEIMER’S
Example for using boolean operator "AND"
Search query – alzheimer’s AND dementia
Records containing both alzheimer’s and
dementia will be returned. This narrows the
search making the results more specific.
DEMENTIA
DEMENTIA
Example for using boolean operator “NOT" :
Search query – alzheimer’s NOT dementia
Records only containing alzheimer’s will be
returned. This narrows the search.
Find results on
Alzheimer’s AND
dementia
Find results on
Alzheimer’s OR dementia
Find results on
Alzheimer’s NOT
dementia
Phrase & truncation searching
• Phrase searching
– “quality of life”, “adverse effects”,
(finds items with these words appearing together as a phrase)
• Truncation (fill in the blanks) can be represented by an asterisk (*).
To use truncation, enter the root of a search term and replace the
ending with an *. This will find all forms of that word.
– For example, type psych* to find the words psychiatry, psychiatric or
psychiatrist(s).
– Note: The Truncation symbol (*) may also be used between words to
match any word.
– For example, obsessive * disorder will return results that contain the
exact phrase, obsessive compulsive disorder
Thesauri/Subject headings
• MeSH (PubMed, Medline, Cochrane
Library)
• Emtree (Embase)
• Psyc Classification Codes & Psychological
Index Terms (PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES)
• CINAHL Headings (Nursing & Allied
Health literature)
• Searchable fields/indices (all of the above
databases)
Lung cancer
So what index does Google use?
None of the above
How to formulate a search
1.
Write out what you are looking for as a sentence. Decide which
words are ‘keywords’ and those which are superfluous
2.
Think about synonyms
3.
Try using the PICO method
“I’m looking for information on the epidemiology of obesity in Irish
children”
Obesity: overweight
use: obese or obesity or overweight
Irish: Ireland
use: Irish or Ireland not Northern Ireland
Children: child, infant, baby
use: child* or baby or infant
Searches
“I’m looking for information on:
1. Preventing Infection Associated with
Intravenous Catheters
2. Link between dronedarone and liver
damage”
Use: adverse effects
Dronedarone or multaq
PICO method
Population/Patient
The specific population being
studied. Take into account
age/gender/ethnicity of patient or
population where relevant
Intervention/Indicator
This includes therapy, drug,
exercise, diet etc.
Comparison
Question whether there alternative
interventions which can be
compared
Outcome
This relates to the measurable
desired outcome
Example of PICO question
• Question formed using PICO: "Is there
evidence to suggest that the prophylactic
use of vitamin B12 supplements (Intervention)
is effective in improving the quality of life
(Outcome)(specifically cognition) of
apparently healthy older people
(Population)?"
• What does the evidence say?
Worked PICO Example
Population/Patient
Aged OR Elderly OR Older
people
Intervention/Indicator
Vitamin B12 supplements
Comparison
No Vitamin B12 supplements
/ other comparators
Outcome
Better quality of life
particularly cognition
Cheat Sheet
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
:site
related:
Inurl:
Define:
Link:
2009..2010
* multiplied by
“” phrase searching
* truncate a word
Intitle:
.pdf, .doc etc.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Google Toolbar
Advanced Search
Scholar Preferences
Google Alerts
Google News
Google Docs
Google Reader
Google Instant
Google Books
The fulltext
always appears
on the right
hand side in
Google Scholar
if available
Use File type to
search for e.g.
Powerpoint
presentations or
excel files etc.
Use filetype: to
get a certain
type of file
Use define: to get a
definition
Use intitle: if you have an idea
of part of the title of an article
Use Library Links e.g.
IMI Library
In Summary
1. Search tips: boolean, phrase, truncation,
limits, Google syntax, thesauri, PICO,
write out sentence, use synonyms,
careful with spelling.
2. Refer to Google Cheat Sheet, use
Advanced & Scholar preferences –
refworks, library links