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Research Cycle: Searching the Databases

A step by step guide to the research process

Tips and Tricks

Search Checklist

  • Has the research question been correctly translated into research concepts (PICO)
  • Have the correct spelling of words (English & American spelling) been checked?
  • Have I missed key subject headings?
  • Have I combined the correct line numbers of my search using the appropriate Boolean operator.
  • Can my search strategy be adapted into other databases?
  • Do I need OR have I applied appropriate limits to my search - age, years, type of studies

Find your database

The A-Z Databases page is the main place to find and access databases.

You can:

  • locate a database by its title from an alphabetical list
  • find databases of a particular type, eg. Nursing, Medical
  • go to popular databases from a list at the right of the page.

There are many databases to search, depending on the context of your search, it may not be necessary to search all databases.

Your university assignment criteria will list the relevant databases that you need to search.

Depending on your search it is recommended that you search at least two databases to ensure that all major research papers are found on your topic.

If in doubt please contact library@cabrini.com.au to discuss.

Readings & Resources

These texts have chapters which describe the searching process.  Al titles can be borrowed from the Cabrini Library. Please email library@cabrini.com.au

Entering a search strategy into a database

So you now have chosen what databases you will search and you have also planned what subject terms you will use according to the PICO elements.

The next step is to type the terms into the database search engine and use the appropriate Boolean operators to retrieve the best results.

Watch this short video to understand how to group your terms and apply into a search strategy.

This tutorial takes the search from the planning stage to now combining all similar terms as well as combining the groups of terms

Finding the Evidence 2 - Turning search terms into a search strategy- [3 Min.] Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Oxford

Also refer to the following guides to see how search strategies are entered into the following key databases

Searching OVID Medline

Searching CINAHL

Unfortunately all databases have their individual search truncation and limiters.  The Flinders University Database guide is a terrific handout which lists all the limiters and truncation symbols according to each database..

Flinders University. Database Syntax Guide for Systematic Reviewers [pdf].

Combining your search strategy - Boolean Operators

It is important to use the correct Boolean operator in the right sequence.  

The Boolean search operators are OR AND, NOT. You can use these operators to create a very broad or very narrow search.

  • Or combines  similar search terms so that each search result contains at least one of the terms.

For example, kidney or renal disease finds results that contain either kidney or renal disease. 

  • And combines search groups so that each search result contains all of the terms.

For example, smoking and breast cancer finds articles that contain both smoking and breast cancer.

  • Not excludes terms so that each search result does not contain any of the terms that follow it.

For example, cloning not sheep finds results that contain cloning but not sheep. 

For all similar terms use the OR boolean operator.

Then use the AND boolean operator to combine all the groups together