Search Worksheet

Search Steps

1. State the research topic/clinical question as an answerable question – use a consistent method to frame the question, such as PICO(M) or its variants. Refer to Tables 2 and 3 on the back side. 2. Identify appropriate databases – refer to Table 4 on the back side. Do not rely on a single database. 3. Identify possible search terms, keywords, and synonyms based on concepts identified in step 1. 4. Conduct the search in the selected databases – search each concept separately. Use:

 OR – Combines synonyms, related terms, or spelling variations for each concept. (OR means more.)  AND – Combine concepts to find citations which are “about” all of the concepts. (AND means less.)

5. Apply limits to narrow search results to relevant citations 6. Refine and save search Table 1 – Organize your search plan. State the research topic/clinical question as an answerable question.

Concepts Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3 Concept 4 Identify key concepts

Identify subject headings for each key concept

Identify keywords for each key concept

Apply limits, i.e., Publication Types, Age Groups, Years, Language, etc.

213 - Dec-20

Table 2 – PICO(M) Components

P Patient or Problem What is the important patient problem or condition? How would you describe the important characteristics of the patient? Intervention, Indicator, What do you want to do to help the patient? Do you want to consider a specific treatment, diagnostic test, exposure or risk I Exposure, Prognostic Factor factor? Is there a prognostic factor that might affect the outcome of the condition? What are the choices of intervention, if any? Are you trying to decide between two different therapies or two different tests? C Comparison or Control Between a therapy or no therapy (placebo)? O Outcome What are you trying to achieve with the intervention? What is the important outcome for the patient? M Methodology What is the best study design or methodology for the type of question you are asking?

Table 3 – PICO(M) Questions

Type Focus Characteristics Question Template Therapy Determine the effect of therapy/intervention  Involves choosing or comparing In ______(P), what is the effect of (i.e., drug treatment, surgical procedure) on out- treatments ______(I) on ______(O) compared with come(s) (i.e., symptoms, costs, morbidity, etc.).  Often compares two drugs/therapies ______(C)?  Largest volume of questions Prevention Identify risk factors that if adjusted can help  Involves choosing or comparing In ______(P), what is the effect of reduce the chance of developing the disease. treatments ______(I) on ______(O) compared with  Often compares two drugs/therapies ______(C)? Diagnosis Demonstrate whether a diagnostic test is valid  Involves choosing, confirming and In ______with ______(P), are (is) and reliable, in order to confirm or exclude a comparing diagnostic tests ______(I) more accurate in diagnosing diagnosis.  Concerned with sensitivity and specificity ______(O) compared with ______(C)? Etiology/ Determine the effects of a potentially harmful  Risk or causality are key concepts Are ______(P) who have ______(I) at Harm agent on outcomes.  Questions about negative impact from an ______risk for/of ______(O) compared intervention or exposure with ______with/without ______(C)? Prognosis Estimate a patient’s clinical course over time  Concerned with the anticipated clinical In ______with ______(P), does and anticipate probable complications of the course ______(I) influence ______(O) versus disorder  Relapse, mortality, or survival rate can be ______(C)? key concepts

Table 4 – Suggested Databases by Discipline/Subject

Basic Sciences Drugs/Pharmacy Medicine  PubMed/Ovid MEDLINE (C)  PubMed/Ovid MEDLINE (C)  PubMed/Ovid MEDLINE (C)  Embase (C)  Embase (C)  Embase (C)  Scopus (MD)  Cochrane (C)  Cochrane (C)  Web of Science, including BIOSIS (MD)  Scopus (MD)  Scopus (MD)  Micromedex (S)  PsycINFO (S) Education Psychiatry/Psychology Nursing/Allied Health  EBSCO Education Resource Information Center  PubMed/Ovid MEDLINE (C)  CINAHL (S) (ERIC) (S)  PsycINFO (S)  PubMed/Ovid MEDLINE (C)  EBSCO Professional Development Collection (S)  HaPI (MD)  Embase (C)  EBSCO Teacher Reference Center (S)  EBSCO Psychology & Behavioral Sciences  Cochrane (C)  PubMed/Ovid MEDLINE (C) Collection (S)  Scopus (MD)  Scopus (MD)  Embase (C)  PsycINFO (S)  Web of Science (MD)  Scopus (MD)  PEDro (S)  PsycINFO (S)  Web of Science (MD)  OTseeker (S)

Key C = Core Databases S = Subject Specific Databases MD = Multidisciplinary Databases

REFERENCES

1. Guyatt, G., Drummond, R., Meade, M.O., Cook, D.J. . (2015). Users' guides to the medical literature : a manual for evidence-based clinical practice (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw- Hill Education. 2. Jankowski, T. A. (2008). Essential Guide to Becoming an Expert Searcher. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. 3. Patrick, L. J., & Munro, S. (2004). The literature review: demystifying the literature search. Diabetes Educator, 30(1), 30-34, 36-38. doi:10.1177/014572170403000106 4. Welch Medical Library Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. (2019). Which Databases to Use? Retrieved from https://browse.welch.jhmi.edu/searching/databases-by-subject