MSc Sports Rehabilitation
Nov 2021
Literature Searching and Reviews
https://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/study/library

In this workshop we will look at...
• Search strategies
• Searching
• Obtaining articles
• Evaluating
• References

What is a literature review?
Sets the scene
• Overview
• Surveys
• Describe, compare and synthesise
Critical, not just descriptive
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Consensus and disagreement
• Gaps
• Future research
https://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/SR

Main steps in a systematic review
1. Framing the question
2. Identifying and selecting relevant literature
3. Assessing the quality of studies
4. Summarising the evidence
5. Interpreting the findings

Finding examples
Find out more: https://www.cochrane.org/about-us
Cochrane Library: myUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Databases > C
Other examples: https://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/Cochrane

Literature search strategy
• Clearly defined question
• Keywords
• Resources
• Inclusion/Exclusion criteria
https://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/LitSearch

Keywords
• Summarise
• Concepts
• Keywords
• AND/OR
• PICO
Search Strategy worksheet:
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/SearchStrategy

PICO
Patient/Population and/or Problem:
Netball players
Intervention:
Taping their ankles
Comparison:
Doing something different (training or treating) or not doing anything
Outcome:
Whatever is being measured e.g. fewer injuries or quicker recovery etc.
PEO is an alternative: Population, Exposure, Outcome.
Guide to using PICO/PEO:
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/SearchStrategy

Streamline your search
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_miley/2614472057/
swim*
“Physical education”
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/SearchTips

Plyometric
training
• Plyometric*
• Training
• Intervention
• Programme
• Program
• Unilateral / bilateral
Jump height
• Jump*
• Vertical jump
Sprint
performance
• Sprint*
• Running (broader)
• Perform*
• Speed, velocity
• Acceleration etc.
What are the
effects of
plyometric
training on jump
height and sprint
performance?
Specific
exercises
•Specific groups
•Age
•Gender
•Level – elite etc

Search strategies
https://padlet.com/HendonMDX/SearchStrategies

Too many search results
• Add more keywords to narrow down search results
• Be more specific
• Search for an "exact phrase"
• Add limits

Not enough results
• Use alternative keywords
• Be less specific
• Split the question into individual concepts
• Use an asterisk to search for variations

myUniHub > MyStudy >MyLibrary
Access library resources and services

MyLibrary
Library Search
MySubject Library Guides
Databases
Inter Library Loans

Library Search
Click on ‘Sign-in’,
choose ‘Middlesex
University’ and use
your university
email address.
Signing-in enables you to access full
text material, check your library
record, create lists, save searches
and create alerts and export
references to RefWorks.

Library Search: Finding information
Type your search terms
(keywords) into the search
box and click on the ‘search
symbol’.
Library Search automatically searches for ‘All resources’ (print and
electronic) i.e. books, journal titles, journal articles etc. Use the drop-down
menu to focus your search or select ‘Available online’ only.

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/LibrarySearch
Library Search: Other features

Library Search: Advanced Search
Boolean Operators:
AND, OR, NOT
Choose search field
e.g. Any, title,
author, subject etc.
Refine by
material type,
language and
date.

https://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/SpecialistDatabases
• Medline/PubMed
• PsycINFO
• Science Direct
• SportDiscus
• TRIP
• Web of Science
Databases for Sports Literature

Search for
‘Keywords’
one at a
time.
Individual
keywords are
displayed and
can now be
combined using
AND/OR.
Journal database searching tips
Searching journal databases guide:
https://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/JournalArticles

Journal databases: Refine search
Refine your search further e.g. ‘peer
reviewed’, ‘publication’, ‘publication date’,
‘subject’ , ‘language’ and location.
If you have too
many search
results, use the
drop-down menu
to restrict search
to ‘Abstract’ rather
than ‘All text’.

Journal databases: Access full-text
Access
full-text.

Journal databases (EBSCO) : Help
Searching journal databases guide:
https://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/JournalArticles
Using Boolean Operators on EBSCO Databases:
https://connect.ebsco.com/s/article/Searching-with-Boolean-
Operators?language=en_US
Proximity searching on EBSCO Databases:
https://connect.ebsco.com/s/article/How-do-I-create-a-
proximity-search?language=en_US

Web of Science - Citation searching
• Which articles have cited an earlier article
• Find articles on similar/related subject
• How many times an article has been cited
• Best journals in your field
MyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Databases > W > Web of Science

Web of Science
Check ‘Links’ to
see if full text
article is available
See how many times
article has been
cited.
Click on title
for more
information
https://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/WOS
Click number
of times cited
to see list of
citing articles

Zetoc (Alert service)
Set-up an alert for
a journal or subject.
Search for journal
articles.
Set-up an RSS
feed for a journal.
MyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Databases > Z > Zetoc

Google Scholar
You may be able to
access the full-text here
e.g. this is available on
open access.
Refine your
search
results here.
Create an alert for your search,
so you can keep up-to-date
with new publications.
Link to MDX resources: > Settings > Library Links > Search for MDX and save.
http://scholar.google.co.uk/

Google Scholar: Useful features
Full text available
from Middlesex
Uni and/or other
sources.
Click on author’s name (if underlined)
to view profile and check for more
research by the author on the same
topic.
Click on ‘Cited by’
to see other articles
that have cited this
article.
‘All versions’: The same article
on other websites – sometimes
useful for getting full text if not
available from MDX.
Create a Harvard
reference or
export to
RefWorks.

Citation/impact information:
Library Search
Google Scholar:

Other Citation/impact information
Mentions on social
media, blogs, news
sources etc.
https://plumanalytics.com/learn/about-metrics/
https://www.altmetric.com/
Insights into the way people
interact with research output in the
online environment including
citations, clicks, downloads from
library holdings, times
bookmarked, mentions in blogs
and ‘likes’ on social media etc.

It’s not in the Library!
• MyLibrary > Library Search
• http://scholar.google.co.uk/
• Google it
• Open access research papers:
• BASE https://www.base-search.net/
• CORE https://core.ac.uk/
• Researchers’ networks e.g. Research Gate
• Authors’ and Institutions’ websites
• MyLibrary > Inter Library Loans
• http://www.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access

Evaluating articles
https://casp-uk.net/casp-tools-checklists/
https://www.understandinghealthresearch.org/
https://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/CriticalAppraisal

Cite Them Right Online
myUniHub > My Study > My Library > Databases > C
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/plagiarismreferencing

Moller, V. and Waddington, I. (2015) Routledge
handbook of sports science. 2nd edn. London:
Routledge.
‘Library Search’ reference
‘Cite Then Right’ reference
Moller, Verner. & Waddington, Ivan., 2015
Routledge handbook of sports science. 2nd ed.,
London: Routledge
Using Cite Them Right Online: Books

Managing references: RefWorks
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/plagiarismreferencing/NewRW
My Study > MyLibrary > Databases > R > RefWorks
RefWorks Guides: https://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES/RefWorks

Export from EBSCO databases* to RefWorks
Click on the article title, then
‘Export’ and finally select
‘Direct Export to RefWorks’
and ‘Save’. The reference
will be exported to your ‘Last
Imported’ folder in RefWorks.
* EBSCO databases include CINAHL, Medline, PsycInfo and SportDiscus.
Access: myUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Databases.

RefWorks: Finding duplicate references
.
In order to check for duplicate
references, change Display to ‘Table
View’, click on ‘Tools’ and then ‘Find
duplicates’. Delete references not
required. Finding duplicates is
particularly useful when carrying out a
systematic review of literature.

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES
Find out more
myUniHub > MyStudy > MySubject Library Guides > Sports and Exercise Science

Need further help
Your Librarian is:
Vanessa Hill
v.hill@mdx.ac.uk
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/SES