Choose one of the research questions mentioned below.
For a maximum of 4 elements choose the most important keywords (both controlled terms and free text terms) from your starting database's thesaurus. Do not use too many too broad thesaurus terms
Using the practicum handouts, create a basic search strategy for your first database with the new method (See the table below). Follow each step in the handouts as precise as possible, and if possible test your query often during the creation. New code that was added compared to the search that already existed is underlined.
If an element consists of multiple concepts combine them together within one set of parentheses, all thesaurus terms at the start of the element, and all title abstract terms within one set of parentheses at the end of the elements.
Send the results to w.bramer@erasmusmc.nl (asap)
If you have been succesfull in creating a search for one of the topics above, you are welcome to try it on one of your own topics.
Research questions to use during the practicum
Physical activity/ exercise and job stress/ burnout in health care personnel
Mobile Apps/ ehealth for lifestyle during pregnancy
Patient adherence of anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation
Risk factors for anastomotic leakage in gastrointestinal surgery
Order of prefered starting database to use during the practicum
You will use the first database on this list that you have access to. Whether you not have experience with that database and interface or not is irrelevant. You will learn most from the method if you use these databases. You can only start in Medline if you don't have access to embase (which most of you have) and you can only use PubMed if you don't have access to any of the other interfaces.
1.
Embase.com
2.
Embase via Ovid
3.
Medline via Ovid
4.
Medline via another interface (such as EBSCOhost)
5.
PubMed
Tips when creating search
Edit in Word
Copy your search from your word document to the database. If there are errors, repair them in Word. Never copy from the database to your word document.
Code & parentheses before terms
Follow the steps given in the practicum handouts closely. If an error appears mostly you have not followed the steps closely.
Cursor positioning with arrow keys; paste with Ctrl-V
Do not use the mouse to position your cursor or to paste search terms in your syntax.
Don’t remove parentheses, add for new element or title/ abstract section
Your search only needs these parentheses (apart from a few exceptions): For each element in your search you need parentheses around that element. Each element in your search has one title abstract section, which is within parentheses as well. Other parentheses are only from proximity, they are prepared and copied and pasted.
Prepare proximity statement for phrase variations Keep a clean proximity statement in the top of your Word document that you can copy and paste when you want to use it in your search.
combine similar proximities
Do not create too many proximity operators that basically use the same words, but combine proximities that overlap into one. This can even be between thesaurus terms.
Use hypens in (truncated) phrases without variations Quotes differ per database and interface. Hyphens work the same in every database and interface. Fixed phrases for which there are no variations in your search you combine with quotes. This is also possible as part of a word group in a proximity statement.
Copy from thesaurus
Do not type your terms, but copy as much as possible to avoid typos.
use find and replace ^p to create managable lists
If a list of synonyms is divided by semi-colons replace the semi-colons with ^p to place each term on a separate line. It is now easier to evaluate the terms.
Start with ab,ti add other fields only in the end
For embase you can ultimately use ab,ti,kw. For Medline it is recommended to use ab,ti,kw. However, do not do this when still creating the search as it will render the optimization that we will perform later impossible.