This document provides an overview of principles and practices for searching the literature. It discusses identifying a research question and keywords, evaluating different sources of information, performing searches in databases and online sources, and properly referencing sources. The document uses examples to illustrate how to develop a search strategy, search in a specific database, evaluate results, and discuss how relevant literature would be identified. It also provides information on referencing styles and links to guides from the University library.

1. Principles and practice of
searching the literature
James Little.

2. Session Overview
• Your knowledge
• The purposes of literature searching
• Sources of information
• Evaluating sources
• Performing searches
• Referencing
• Your own search
• Feedback and advice
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3. Your knowledge
• Has anyone performed a literature search
before?
• What do you think is involved?
• Do you have any concerns/worries about
literature searching?
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4. The purpose of literature
searching
• To find relevant published material to your area
of interest
• To find a basis for a research question or area of
study
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5. Overview
• Question / subject area
• Identify keywords
• Identify appropriate sources
• Perform searches
• Narrow search results / follow links
• Evaluate sources
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6. In context
• Much easier now than ever before
• Access to search facilities online
• Access to publications online
• Guides provided by the University Library:
• http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/libdocs/lit.html
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7. General sources of information
• Where do you think you would look?
• Wikipedia? Google? Library?
• Google Scholar
• Journals and other publications
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8. Specific sources
• Subject-specific for nursing:
• CINAHL
• MedLine
• Cochrane Database
• www.nice.org.uk
• Colleagues!
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9. Evaluating sources
• What is trustworthy?
• Wikipedia
• Bias, fact / opinion
• Journal of radical midwives
• Sources displaying bias or opinion are useful but
should be used in context as a discussion /
starting point.
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10. Sample search
• Question / subject area
• “ Fingernail health in patients with disease”
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11. Sample search
• Keywords/related areas:
• Fingernail, health, hand washing, disease, calcium
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12. Sample search
• Sources
• CINAHL Database
• Google Scholar
• VS
• Wikipedia
• Google
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13. Sample search
• Results
• Narrowing down / more specific keywords
• Evaluate sources
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14. Referencing
• Acknowledges source
• Shows you have not plagiarized work
• Provides an accurate list of resources
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15. Referencing: your experience?
• Has everyone referenced work?
• How recently?
• What system(s) did you use
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16. Referencing: Overview
• Harvard referencing system
• Harvard method of quoting in the text
• Reference list
• Compile a reference list as you work
• Library Guide:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/libdocs/hsl-dvc1.pdf
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17. Your own search
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18. Activity Section B
• Develop and carry out a literature search. For
this you should: specify a clear research
question; identify key terms; define inclusion and
exclusion criteria; undertake a search using
ONE database; record your search strategy;
discuss how you would identify relevant
literature from your results
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19. Feedback and advice
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20. Useful links
• Database searching: a basic guide
• Literature searching for your essay, dissertation or p
• http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/libdocs/lit.html
• Harvard referencing guide
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