Advanced Literature Searching
for Second-Year PT Students
Min-Lin E Fang, MLIS
Education and Information Consultant for Nursing and
Social and Behavioral Sciences
415-476-3397
Fang@library.ucsf.edu
Objectives
By the end of this class you will be able to:
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Sep 2007
Locate an overview of a medical condition using
UptoDate
Perform a PubMed search using Medical Subject Headings
Use limit options and subheadings to refine searches
Set up an automated PubMed Updates
Save search strategies
Set up PubMed filters to efficiently locate meta-analysis,
RCTs and systematic reviews
Perform a CINAHL search using CINAHL thesaurus
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PubMed@UCSF
PubMed@UCSF
http://www.library.ucsf.edu/db/pubmed/
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By National Center for Biotechnology Information
Approximately 15 million references to the
published journal literature
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Over 5,000 journal titles
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1950 – present
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Incorporates all or part of MEDLINE, HealthSTAR,
AIDSLINE, CANCERLIT, SPACELINE,
BIOETHICSLINE, and HISTLINE
Sep 2007
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PubMed @UCSF
Special URL:
http://www.library.ucsf.edu/db/pubmed/
UC-eLinks
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Links to UCSF full text journals
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Links to UCSF Library Catalog to check whether
UCSF owns a journal and get call no
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Links to Melvyl Catalog to check which other UC
campuses own a journal
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Request articles not owned by UCSF from other UC
campuses and beyond
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Copy and Paste citations
Help: UC-eLinks QuickGuide
Sep 2007
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UC-eLinks
Sep 2007
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Databases- PT
Sep 2007
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Development of Search Strategies
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Sep 2007
Formulate the question
Break the question down to various concepts
Find the right MeSH/thesaurus for each concept
Combine various concepts using Boolean operators
(AND, OR, NOT)
Apply limit options (language, subset, age,
publication type, major heading, subheading)
Run the search
Modify search strategies and rerun the search
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Why Use Index Terms (MeSH)?
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MeSH headings are an efficient way to find
information on “concepts” or topics where
authors use different language to discuss the
same ideas.
Using MeSH improves precision and accuracy of
subject searching.
Searching for words in the keyword indexes may
not retrieve relevant articles.
Example: physical therapy
“Storytelling as therapy: implications for medicine.”
Abstract: Storytelling is an art developed during the
beginning of human history, probably to teach the wisdom of
generations past, including basic mental and physical health
principles…
Sep 2007
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Locating MeSH - 1
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Sep 2007
Do a Title word search.
e.g.
- Treat* [ti] AND repetitive stress injur* [ti]
- Change display format to “Citation” to see
assigned MeSH for the concept.
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Locating MeSH - 2
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Sep 2007
Search the MeSH database
 Scope Note
 Subheadings
 Major Topics
 Explode
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Boolean Operators
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Sep 2007
OR (use to join synonyms)
 Vitamin C OR Ascorbic Acid
 doctors OR physicians
 tumor OR tumour
 injuries OR accidents
AND (use to combine concepts)
 Vitamin C AND cancer
 doctors AND managed care
 color AND vision
 injuries AND automobiles
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Boolean AND
Sep 2007
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Boolean OR
Sep 2007
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Tips on PubMed Searching
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Search field tags are available [ti]
Forced phrase searching in quotes “”
Explode is automatic
Use truncation (*) to broaden your search
(e.g. child* => child, children, childbearing)
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Sep 2007
Boolean operators processed left to right
To find in-process citations: Use keyword search
and limit your search to last one year.
Keyword search: looking for terms in the title,
MeSH and an abstract.
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PubMed My NCBI
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Sep 2007
Save search strategies
Provide automatic email updates
Set up filters for specific research
papers, e.g. systematic reviews, metaanalysis
Highlight PubMed search words in your
retrieval
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My NCBI – registration & set-up
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Free registration
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Setting up filters for RCT and meta analysis
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Sep 2007
Select ‘Filters’ in the far left menu, and then select
PubMed.
Select ‘Search’ and look up ‘randomized controlled
trial’. Select Randomized Controlled Trial under the
matching filters list and then check the ‘Add’ box
to automatically add RCT as one of your filters.
Go back to ‘Search’ and repeat this with ‘meta
analysis’.
User preferences
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CINAHL via EBSCO
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Sep 2007
Covers nursing and allied health
55% overlap with MEDLINE
Includes articles, books, book chapters,
conference proceedings, AV, software,
dissertations
CINAHL Plus (1937-)
CINAHL Headings (Major or Minor Subjects)
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UptoDate
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Sep 2007
Opinion-based topic reviews prepared by
physicians for physicians
Helps you find current options for
diagnosis, management, & therapy,
screening and prevention strategies
Restricted access
Only computers on the Parnassus and
Mission Bay Campuses and all UCSFowned facilities (e.g. Mt. Zion library)
may access this resource.
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Citation Management
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Sep 2007
Allows you to create and organize citations for books,
articles, websites, and many other types of
documents.
Works with word processing software (e.g., Microsoft
Word) to insert correctly formatted footnotes or
citations into a paper and create the bibliography.
EndNote vs RefWorks
EndNote: Purchase at UCSF Tech Store or
endnote.com site
RefWorks:
 Free Web-based service for UCSF students and
personnel
 Create your individual account
 Sign up for a class
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Exercises
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Sep 2007
Studies on the efficacy of using braces
to treat repetitive stress injuries
Impact of kyphosis for older women on
quality of life
Risk factors for recurrent low back pain
in young adults
Wrist Splints (CINAHL)
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Help
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Online Tutorials
http://www.library.ucsf.edu/edtech/tutorial/
PubMed Quick Tours
CINAHL Basic Searching, Advanced Searching
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Sep 2007
Personal Consultation
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