Combining results
The below is a quick overview about how to start to build your search strategy.
Before you start searching, think about keywords for your given subject. You may find it useful to do some preliminary reading in textbooks and encyclopaedias which will help you identify some keywords, and perhaps also key authors.
A good way to create a search strategy is to search for the keywords of each concept separately and then combine those keywords to narrow down your search results. You combine these keywords using Boolean operators.
How to apply Boolean operators
- AND combines keywords so that each search result contains all of the terms. For example, heart AND surgery finds items containing both the words heart and surgery.
- OR combines search terms so that each search result contains at least one of the terms. For example, heart OR cardiac finds results containg either heart or cardiac (includes singular/plural, US/UK spelling variations).
- NOT can be used to exclude terms so search results don't contain that term. For example heart NOT surgery finds results that contain heart but not surgery. This term should be used sparingly, as there is a risk of losing relevant search results.
If you are doing a simple search then you can write the Boolean into the search box. Take care that you have spelled everything correctly. E.g.
For more complex queries, use Advanced search
Medicine Literature Searching Tutorial
If you would like extra information about searching please take a look at the Medicine Literature Search tutorial. Although written for medical students, it has information that students of all disciplines will find useful. This includes sections about having a focused research question and searching databases with keywords.
