MDSC 308: Learning How to Search Effectively

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MDSC 308 Learning How to Search Effectively

• The Finer Points of Seeking Scholarly Literature
• Session Presenter Marcus Vaska
• September 24, 2009

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Session Outline

• Literature Search Definition Process
• Health and Society Research Databases
• Global Health
• HealthSTAR
• MEDLINE
• PubMed
• Health and Society E-Journals

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Literature Search Definition

• Literature Search is
• a detailed, organized, step-by-step search for
  all material available on a topic
• RGU How to do a Literature Search. (2006).
  Retrieved August 6, 2008 from http//www.rgu.ac.uk
  /library/howto/page.cfm?pge25989

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Literature Search Process Research Goals

• Select and refine topic
• Develop an effective search strategy
• Choose or select an appropriate resource
  (database, e-journal, etc.) in which to conduct
  the search
• Cite your sources using an approved style guide
  (i.e. APA)

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Select a Topic

• Potential Researchable Question
• In lieu of traditional homeopathic remedies, can
  the administration of modern medicine help
  alleviate the malaria epidemic among children in
  Africa?

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Refine the Topic

• Keywords
• Malaria
• Treatment
• Child
• Africa
• Medicine
• Traditional medicine
• Preventive medicine

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Develop an Effective Search Strategy

• Before the search begins
• Organize your search so that you know what you
  are looking for before beginning your trek.
• These searching tools can help you become better
  organized
• WISPR
• PICO

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WISPR
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PICO
In lieu of traditional homeopathic remedies, can
the administration of modern medicine help
alleviate the malaria epidemic among children in
Africa?
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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

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Search Strategy Tips

• Boolean Operators
• AND (narrows search, retrieving records
  containing all of the terms) i.e. apples AND
  oranges
• OR (broadens search, retrieving records
  containing any of the terms) i.e. apples OR
  oranges
• NOT (excludes terms from a search, retrieving
  records that do not contain the term following
  it.) i.e. apples NOT spartan
• Wildcard Truncation
• 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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Health and Society Research Databases

• Global Health
• HealthSTAR
• MEDLINE
• PubMed

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Global Health

• Covers human health and disease
• Includes
• Communicable diseases
• Tropical diseases
• Parasitic diseases
• Community and public health

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HealthSTAR

• Contains citations to published literature on
• Health services
• Technology
• Administration
• Research
• Focus clinical and non-clinical aspects of
  health care delivery

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MEDLINE

• Covers international literature on
• Biomedicine
• Allied health fields
• Biological and physical sciences
• Information science
• Related to medicine and health care

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PubMed

• Covers
• Medicine
• Nursing
• Veterinary medicine
• Molecular biology
• Health care system
• Preclinical sciences

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E-Journals

• E-Journals
• Accessed from the Health Sciences Library home
  page 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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E-JournalsBiomedical Sciences Stream

• Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
• Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Bioinformatics and Biomedicine
• Biomed Central
• BMC Cell Biology
• BMC Health Services Research
• BMC Immunology
• BMC Infectious Diseases
• BMC Medical Research Methodology
• BMC Microbiology
• Biomedical Chromatography
• Biomedical Therapy
• Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy
• Journal of Biomedical Science

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E-JournalsBioinformatics Stream Stream

• BMC Bioinformatics
• Briefings in Bioinformatics
• Bioinformatics
• Bioinformatics and Biomedicine
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• Journal of Biotechnology

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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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Formatting a ReferenceAPA Style

• The following resources will assist you with
  formatting a reference in APA style
• APA Publication Manual
• 6th edition 2 copies available at the Health
  Sciences Library (WZ345 .A54 2010)
• (5th edition) 3 copies available at the Health
  Sciences Library (WZ345 .A54 2001) 15 copies
  available at MacKimmie Library (PE1479 .P8 A5
  2001 )
• Also available APA Style Guide to Electronic
  References (PN171 .F56 INTERNET?available as an
  E-book)
• APA Style Essential web site http//www.vanguard.
  edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.aspx?doc_id796
• APA Formatting and Style Guide
  http//owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
  

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APA Style Example 1

• Challand, S. (2005). A survey of the use of
  medicinal plants and other traditional medicine
  in Kasese District, Uganda. Tropical Doctor, 35,
  222-224.

author
year of publication
article title
journal title
page numbers
volume
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APA Style Example 2

• Akogun, O.B., John, K.K. (2005).
  Illness-related practices for the management of
  childhood malaria among the Bwatiye people of
  north-eastern Nigeria. Malaria Journal, 4, 13-18.
  

authors
year of publication
journal title
page numbers
volume
article title
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U of C Photo ID/Student Card
Campus Card Office Room 260 MacEwan Student
Centre Phone [phone] Hours 830 am 430
pm Monday Friday (hours extended until 600
p.m. at beginning of term-please call for
details) See http//www.ucalgary.ca/onecard/onecar
dhome for more information
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User Authentication
Please register with Library to activate full
library privileges! User ID first 9 digits
of bar code on back of card (take off last
digit) PIN number on front of card (take off
leading zeros)
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Practice Question

• Does poverty contribute to the spread of AIDS in
  Africa?

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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]