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Gibson D. Lewis Library Libguides

Literature Searching

Need to find literature for your research, but don't know where to start? This guide is here to help!

Search Translation

Now that a clear research question has been established, it's necessary to translate it into a way that a database can understand and refine it to find the most relevant results quickly. This is done by taking the most relevant terms and concepts in a research question (or your PICO components), expanding them, and formatting them for database syntax. 

Structuring Searches

There is no right or wrong way to search and technique may differ based on preference, but there are certain strategies to effectively search the literature. One strategy is mapping our search terms and concepts prior to searching. Each concept is placed in its own column and can align PICO or any other question framework. Start by placing the concept at the top of the column and use the space below to brainstorm synonyms, related terms, and database-specific terms. 

For this example, the concepts Elderly, Exercise, and Frailty are used. Other terms to describe elderly people might be geriatrics, older adults, or a nursing home. One appropriate database-specific subject term would be the MeSH term: Aged, 80 and over.

What is Indexing?

Journal articles and other material in databases are indexed with subject terms which makes them searchable.  Think of hashtags and social media.  When a hashtag is used it connects all photos or posts with that same hashtag.  Articles within databases have indexing terms attached to them connecting articles with similar themes. Once that term is input in a search bar it will bring up articles with the same or similar indexing terms.

Together, databases and indexing make finding scholarly articles possible.

For instance, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) in PubMed are an example of indexing terms.