MDSC 308: Learning How to Search

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MDSC 308 Learning How to Search

• The Finer Points of Seeking Scholarly Literature
• Session Presenter Marcus Vaska
• September 27, 2007

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Research Goals

• Select and refine topic
• Develop an effective search strategy
• Choose or select an appropriate database,
  e-journal, online reference source, etc.
• Cite your sources and use an approved style guide

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Session Outline

• Literature Search Process
• Research Databases
• OVID
• Medline,
• PsycINFO,
• Cochrane EBM Reviews
• E-Journals

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Before the Search Begins

• Organize your search so that you know what you
  are searching for before beginning your trek.
• These searching tools can help you become better
  organized
• WISPR Logbook
• PICO
• BEGIN WITH RESEARCH DATABASES!

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Literature Search Processhttp//webapps2.ucalgary
.ca/commons/servlet/wispr/app?servicepage/GENERI
C-Home
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Peer-Reviewed Journals

• Scholarly periodical each article submitted for
  publication is judged, independently, by a panel
  of experts
• Characteristics of a peer-reviewed journal
• Formal
• Cited sources (footnotes and/or a bibliography)
• Authored by scholars and researchers
• Purpose of article is to publish results of
  research
• Publisher is a prominent organization or research
  institution
• Please consult http//www.library.uiuc.edu/alx/pee
  r.htm for more information

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Sample Research TopicDatabases Used Medline,
PsycINFO, EBM Reviews

• Evaluation of Mental Health Services
• Keywords mental health services, evaluation

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Refining a Search

• Boolean Operators
• AND (narrows search, retrieving records
  containing all of the terms)
• OR (broadens search, retrieving records
  containing any of the terms)
• NOT (excludes terms from a search, retrieving
  records that do not contain the term following
  it.)
• Truncation/Wildcard
• system returns records on system, systems,
  systematic
• ? wom?n returns records on both woman and women
  (singular and plural forms)
• Nesting
• Parenthesis, () keep related terms together
• If searching for an exact phrase, enclose phrase
  in quotation marks,

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A Brief Note on SFX

• Provides a link between several databases and
  full-text articles (note that NLM is NOT linked
  to SFX)
• Not only does SFX automatically search the
  library catalogue for electronic holdings, it
  also notifies the user when material is not
  available online
• For more information, please consult
  http//library.ucalgary.ca/services/finditsfxfullt
  extservice/whatisfindit-sfx.php

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Medline, PsycINFO, EBM ReviewsSaving a Search

• Scroll to the Results Manager box at the bottom
  of the results retrieved screen
• Choice to print, e-mail, or save records
• As an OVID product, saving in PsycINFO and EBM
  Reviews is identical to saving in Medline
• To save a record
• Click on the save button (the one with the
  computer disk)
• In the following screen select Windows Style
  Linefeeds, make sure the Include Search Strategy
  box is checked, and click Continue.
• The results will be saved as a text (txt) file.

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E-Journals

• E-Journals
• Accessed from the Health Sciences Library home
  page (http//library.ucalgary.ca/branches/healthsc
  ienceslibrary/) by clicking on the E-Journals
  tab.
• E-Journals are all listed alphabetically

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E-JournalsHealth and Society Stream

• Environmental Health
• Global Change and Human Health
• Global Public Health
• Frontiers in Health Policy Research
• Health Education Research
• Health Research Policy and Systems
• Health and Social Care in the Community
• Journal of Behavioral Health Services and
  Research
• Progress in Community Health Partnerships
• Rural and Remote Health
• Value in Health

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Student BMJ

• International medical journal, compiled by
  students for students
• Material derived from the British Medical Journal
• Contains abundant information on a multitude of
  topics, both clinical and non-clinical,
  including global issues, international health,
  humanitarian work, etc.

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INFORMATION RESOURCES Health Sciences Library
U of C Photo ID Card
User ID first 9 digits of bar code number on
back of card (take off last digit) PIN number
on front of card (take off leading zeros) Campus
Card Office, Room 260 MacEwan Student
Centre Phone [phone]
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User Authentication
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Session Evaluation

• Whenever you have a moment, I would appreciate if
  you could please take a few moments to answer the
  following evaluation survey. I value your
  feedback, as it will help me with future
  instruction sessions.
• To access the survey please go to
• https//www.getfast.ca/students/index.cfm?Randomc
  ourse26564177
• Password MDSC308

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The End

• This concludes todays session. If you have any
  further questions, please do not hesitate to
  contact me. Thank you!
• Marcus Vaska
• E-mail mmvaska_at_ucalgary.ca
• Phone [phone]