Tools for searching the literature
KPER 7000
Janice Winkler
Librarian for Kinesiology and Recreation Management
For today: bit.ly/7000F23
For bookmarking: https://slides.com/infolitlibrarian/kper7000_23
- Libraries website and services
- Database selection
- Search strategies
- Organizing and managing your sources
Overview
Libraries website and services
Website
UMNetID
- Log in to library website
- Access e-resources (articles, ebooks, databases)
- Place print materials on hold
- Request scans or inter-library loans
In-person
UM student ID
- Borrow print materials
- Borrow laptops
- Used for web browsing
- Pop-up helps you bypass paywalls via library access
- If we don't have library access, it auto-populates an inter-library loan request form
Results page
Choosing and using databases
Database | Coverage | Platform |
---|---|---|
SportDiscus | Sport, sport medicine | Ebsco |
Sociological Abstracts | Sociology | ProQuest |
PubMed | Biggest health database. Medical focus | -- |
CINAHL | Nursing and allied health | Ebsco |
PsycInfo | Psychology | Ovid |
ERIC | Education | ProQuest |
Cochrane Library | Systematic reviews | -- |
Scopus | Large multidisciplinary, citation tracking | -- |
Web of Science | Large multidisciplinary, citation tracking | -- |
Searching process
Search process overview
- Identify key concepts
- Brainstorm related terms or synonyms for each
- Consider using syntax (* and " ") and Booleans (ANDs and ORs) to flesh out each concept
- Run your search in the database and apply filters.
- Review your search results, identify why they came up, and adjust your search accordingly.
- When you have a good strategy: save it!
We do this because database search functionality is very literal.
Search concepts from a research question
Can physical activity reduce depressive symptoms among people with posttraumatic stress disorder?
Physical activity
- Exercise/ exercises/ exercising
- Fitness
- Physically active
Depressive symptoms
- Depression/ depressed
- MDD
Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Post traumatic stress disorder
- PTSD
Identify synonyms for each concept
Apply search strategies
Truncation
- Searches for all possible endings
- Add at the point in the word where it changes
- Be careful about truncating short words, or truncating too soon
Examples:
exercis*
depress*
step*
Apply search strategies
Phrase searching
- Use to keep words together
- Can be used in combination with truncation
Examples:
"posttraumatic stress disorder"
"post traumatic stress disorder"
"physical* activ*"
Apply search strategies
Other options, which vary by database
- Wildcard: usually ? or #
- Proximity searching varies more; Google a tutorial for your database or contact librarian for help
Examples using Ebsco syntax:
behavio#r = wildcard character optional
organi?ation = wildcard character required
disab* N1 person* = no more than 1 word between these words
therap* N0 recreation* = no words in between these, but any order
Physical activity
- Exercis*
- Fitness
- Physical* activ*
Depressive symptoms
- Depress*
- MDD
Posttraumatic stress disorder
- "Post traumatic stress disorder"
- "Posttraumatic stress disorder"
- PTSD
Updated search strategy
Apply Boolean operators
"physical* activ*"
Use OR to combine synonyms
exercis*
Apply Boolean operators
"physical* activ*" OR exercis*
Use AND to combine separate concepts
depress* OR MMD
Physical activity
- Exercis*
OR
- Fitness
OR
- Physical* activ*
Depressive symptoms
- Depress*
OR
- MDD
Posttraumatic stress disorder
- "Post traumatic stress disorder"
OR
- "Posttraumatic stress disorder"
OR
- PTSD
Back to our example
AND
AND
(depress* OR mdd) AND (exercis* OR fitness OR "physical* activ*") AND ("posttraumatic stress" OR "post traumatic stress" OR ptsd)
Apply brackets and paste into database
Or use the Advanced Search and include one concept per line
Or search one concept at a time, then use the Search History to combine
Subject headings
- Like a tag assigned to each article to identify the main topic(s) of a publication
- Reduces complications with synonyms
- Can further focus results
- Available in most databases, usually in a section called Advanced Search, Thesaurus, MeSH
Thesaurus is located on the homepage in SportDiscus, CINAHL
Activity: Choose a database and look up a subject heading
Citation management software
Feature | Mendeley |
Zotero |
---|---|---|
Save publications (references, files) |
||
Organize publications using folders and tags | ||
MS word integration to add in-text citations and generate reference lists | ||
Create groups to share references for team projects |
Using Mendeley
Activity
If you aren't already using a reference management software:
- Download Mendeley
- Create an account
- Try adding a PDF or folder
- Try citing in Mendeley
Already have Mendeley (or similar?)
- Make sure you have installed the Word plug-in and web importer
- Add and organize your files using folders and tags
- Open and annotate a PDF
Suggestions for managing search results
- Save your search
- Create a free account on each database platform, save searches to your account
- Most have the option to email you new search results periodically
- Paste your search strategy into a Word document
- Save or export citations
- Export results into your citation manager
Accessing full text
- Check library access button (in databases)
- For issues with full text access, use the chat
Connect
- Janice.Winkler@umanitoba.ca
- Appointment scheduler (Zoom or in-person) through the FKRM research guide
More resources
- Libraries GradSteps workshops
- Recorded workshops available on Libraries YouTube channel
KPER 7000 F23
By Janice Winkler
KPER 7000 F23
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