finding articles for your research

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Finding Articles for your Research

By Kristin Kroger, MLIS

kk663@nova.edu or 954-262-3117

Choose the right database(s)

Identify search terms:

• To find/identify search terms:

– read background information about the topic.(ex) Look up your topic in a medical dictionary or use the Credo Reference database and its concept mapping feature to find search terms

Best Practices:• Use one word or concept for each search box.• If you must use a phrase, put them in

quotation marks or parentheses: "over the counter"

How are the results ranked/displayed?

• Use truncation (Example: therap* will look for keywords such as therapy AND therapies AND therapists)

• Don't use "effect of" or "cause of"- databases do not apply logic to your searches

• Look at the Subjects listed for each article as well as the article titles.

• Articles probably won’t "match" your search exactly.

5 Common researching mistakes

1. Looking for ARTICLE titles that exactly match your topic.

• You will miss important articles• Articles related to your topic will have data

you can use

2. Search terms are too narrow or too broad.

• If your result list is too small, try broadening your topic or any of your limiters geographic location, date range age of population. – (EX) change Invisalign to dental appliances OR – Fort Lauderdale to Florida or United States

• If your result list is over 1,000 articles - limit your search by date, subject or other factors

3. Missing citation pearls.

• If you find an excellent article, select the author or subject links to find more like it.

Use the ‘Find Similar’ or ‘Related citations’ option

4. Forgetting to save searches & search terms that produce great results in [Your Folder] for future reference.

• You can rerun your searches and uncover newer articles during your research time period

• You may change the direction of your search and need to remember how you found your original articles

5. Choosing a topic that is too specific

• If you narrow your topic before researching too much, you may have difficulty articles.

• It is often easier to pick your [talking/writing] points after seeing what information exists in the literature

Tips & Tricks

• Some journals print a theme-based issue once or twice per year-see the other articles in the same issue for more information on your topic.

• Some journals are perfect for researching your topic. Search within that journal to find more information. (ex) Journal of Telemedicine & Telecare

• Try researching using your author names. Often authors write more than one article about a specific topic.

• Go citation surfing! Look at the reference list for your article, you're bound to find one or two gems.

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