STRUCTURED APPROACH TO DATABASE / LITERATURE SEARCHING

© QMed Knowledge Foundation© QMed Knowledge Foundation20112011 11

STRUCTURED APPROACH TO STRUCTURED APPROACH TO DATABASE / LITERATURE DATABASE / LITERATURE

SEARCHINGSEARCHING

Vasumathi SriganeshVasumathi SriganeshQMed Knowledge FoundationQMed Knowledge Foundation

[email protected]


QMED KNOWLEDGE QMED KNOWLEDGE FOUNDATIONFOUNDATION

Three year old not for profit trustThree year old not for profit trust Mission: To train and enable healthcare Mission: To train and enable healthcare

professionals to obtain the best professionals to obtain the best evidence from systematic researchevidence from systematic research

We work with students, faculty, We work with students, faculty, practitioners and libraries in the health practitioners and libraries in the health sciences domainsciences domain


RESEARCH DISCOVERYRESEARCH DISCOVERY

Four stepsFour steps Identify your research problem Identify your research problem Identify types of resources you hope to Identify types of resources you hope to

findfind Identify the appropriate search tools to Identify the appropriate search tools to

retrieve and organize the informationretrieve and organize the information Carefully and critically evaluate the Carefully and critically evaluate the

information you have foundinformation you have found


Identifying the Identifying the problemproblem


IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEMIDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM

Defining the problem clearlyDefining the problem clearly Defining the reason for the Defining the reason for the

information-questinformation-quest


RESEARCH PROBLEMRESEARCH PROBLEM

Simple ---------> ComplexSimple ---------> Complex– Meaning of OsteoarthritisMeaning of Osteoarthritis– Information about Kawasaki DiseaseInformation about Kawasaki Disease– Incidence of breast cancer amongst Incidence of breast cancer amongst

unmarried women in North Indiaunmarried women in North India– Is bed rest better than being active for low Is bed rest better than being active for low

back pain and sciaticaback pain and sciatica



ReasonsReasons Meaning of OsteoarthritisMeaning of Osteoarthritis

– I have to show off to my older brotherI have to show off to my older brother Information about Kawasaki DiseaseInformation about Kawasaki Disease

– Need to prove to the world that I know Need to prove to the world that I know a lota lot



ReasonsReasons Incidence of breast cancer amongst Incidence of breast cancer amongst

unmarried women in North Indiaunmarried women in North India– I want to relate the incidence of breast I want to relate the incidence of breast

cancer to xxxxcancer to xxxx Is bed rest better than being active for Is bed rest better than being active for

low back pain and sciaticalow back pain and sciatica I have to treat a patient with lbp + sciatica and I have to treat a patient with lbp + sciatica and

there is conflicting evidencethere is conflicting evidence


Types of ResourcesTypes of Resources


TYPES OF RESOURCESTYPES OF RESOURCES

TraditionalTraditional BooksBooks

– Text books / MonographsText books / Monographs JournalsJournals



TraditionalTraditional Other reference sourcesOther reference sources

– Dictionaries / Encyclopediae / Biographical Dictionaries / Encyclopediae / Biographical sources sources

– Handbooks / Manuals etcHandbooks / Manuals etc



TraditionalTraditional ““Indexes”Indexes”

– Monthly / CumulativeMonthly / Cumulative Directories / ListsDirectories / Lists


RESOURCESRESOURCES

Primary – The resourcePrimary – The resource Secondary – List of resourcesSecondary – List of resources Tertiary – List of lists of resourcesTertiary – List of lists of resources


IT ERAIT ERA

Same sources on the webSame sources on the web– Formerly in printFormerly in print

New – E-only resourcesNew – E-only resources– Based on the aboveBased on the above

Search enginesSearch engines– GeneralGeneral– Databases with highly featured search enginesDatabases with highly featured search engines

Meta-search enginesMeta-search engines


Appropriate Appropriate

Search ToolsSearch Tools


APPROPRIATE SEARCH TOOLSAPPROPRIATE SEARCH TOOLS

SimpleSimple

– Google it Google it Slightly more complex / important reasonsSlightly more complex / important reasons

– Know standard resources and search themKnow standard resources and search them Complex / very important questionsComplex / very important questions

– Best resources, best search strategies, if Best resources, best search strategies, if needed – all possible resources, with indepth needed – all possible resources, with indepth strategiesstrategies


APPROPRIATE RETRIEVAL / APPROPRIATE RETRIEVAL / ORGANIZATIONORGANIZATION

Web-enabled updating tools like email Web-enabled updating tools like email alerts / RSS feedsalerts / RSS feeds

Storage in bibliographic managers for Storage in bibliographic managers for easy re-retrievaleasy re-retrieval– Using importing / other tech-based toolsUsing importing / other tech-based tools


Evaluating Evaluating Internet Internet

InformationInformation


AUTHORITY OF SOURCEAUTHORITY OF SOURCE

Author - individualAuthor - individual InstitutionInstitution SponsorSponsor

Issues to check:Issues to check:– CredibilityCredibility– BiasBias– Political or other linking?Political or other linking?


RECENCY OF INFORMATION RECENCY OF INFORMATION

When was the site last updatedWhen was the site last updated How often is it updatedHow often is it updated Is there any obsolete informationIs there any obsolete information Are there archives to check old Are there archives to check old

informationinformation How quickly is any latest information How quickly is any latest information

addedadded


SITE ORGANIZATIONSITE ORGANIZATION

Ease of navigation Ease of navigation LinksLinks

– Too fewToo few– Too manyToo many– Key links from home pageKey links from home page

Good index / sitemap / search facilityGood index / sitemap / search facility


PURPOSEPURPOSE

Intended audienceIntended audience Students / professionals / lay peopleStudents / professionals / lay people

ObjectiveObjective Inform or persuade? Inform or persuade? Promotional? Promotional?

CheckCheck Is the information original or copiedIs the information original or copied

with or without permissionwith or without permission


EVALUATING AT INFO-LEVELEVALUATING AT INFO-LEVEL

Eg – a Journal article can make a tall Eg – a Journal article can make a tall claim – “this drug is fantastic”. Need to claim – “this drug is fantastic”. Need to evaluateevaluate

Methodology of studyMethodology of study– True randomization / blinding / allocation True randomization / blinding / allocation

concealment?concealment?– Statistics / calculations – correct?Statistics / calculations – correct?– Other bias – eliminated?Other bias – eliminated?


BACK TO RESEARCH PROBLEMSBACK TO RESEARCH PROBLEMS

Simple ---------> ComplexSimple ---------> Complex– Meaning of OsteoarthritisMeaning of Osteoarthritis– Information about Kawasaki DiseaseInformation about Kawasaki Disease– Incidence of breast cancer amongst Incidence of breast cancer amongst

unmarried women in North Indiaunmarried women in North India– Is bed rest better than being active for low Is bed rest better than being active for low

back pain and sciaticaback pain and sciatica


IDEAL SOURCESIDEAL SOURCES

Medical Dictionaries / EncyclopediaMedical Dictionaries / Encyclopedia DatabasesDatabases

– PubMed (index to journal articles)PubMed (index to journal articles)– Cochrane Library (Systematic Reviews)Cochrane Library (Systematic Reviews)– ““Summaries” (UpToDate, First Consult, Summaries” (UpToDate, First Consult,

BEST BETS / Bandolier)BEST BETS / Bandolier)


ABOUT GOOGLEABOUT GOOGLE

Brilliant resource, but…Brilliant resource, but…

(Demo of a google search on prostodin (Demo of a google search on prostodin in labor – first shows a blog of a medical in labor – first shows a blog of a medical intern and his case)intern and his case)


WHAT DOES ONE NEED TO KNOW WHAT DOES ONE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DATABASES?ABOUT DATABASES?

Scope of coverage Scope of coverage What it covers What it covers What it does notWhat it does not Time span Time span


WHAT DOES ONE NEED TO WHAT DOES ONE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DATABASES?KNOW ABOUT DATABASES?

Availability: Free or paid for?Availability: Free or paid for? What is the difference?What is the difference? When is “free” adequate, and When is “free” adequate, and

when it isn’twhen it isn’t


CONCEPTS - SEARCHINGCONCEPTS - SEARCHING


PRECISION & RECALLPRECISION & RECALL

PrecisionPrecision– Specific, pinpointedSpecific, pinpointed

RecallRecall– Broad-based, generic, related coverage Broad-based, generic, related coverage

includedincluded


BOOLEAN OPERATORSBOOLEAN OPERATORS

ANDAND OROR NOTNOT


BOOLEAN – ‘AND’BOOLEAN – ‘AND’

Malaria Filaria

AND = articles on Malaria and Filaria


BOOLEAN – ‘OR’BOOLEAN – ‘OR’

Malaria Filaria

OR = articles on Malaria OR Filaria OR both


BOOLEAN – ‘NOT’BOOLEAN – ‘NOT’

NOT = articles on Malaria BUT NOT Filaria

Malaria Filaria


DEMODEMO

PrimaryPrimary– Journals / Clinical TrialsJournals / Clinical Trials

SecondarySecondary– PubMedPubMed

TertiaryTertiary– Hardin Meta DirectoryHardin Meta Directory– TRIP Database TRIP Database


DEMODEMO

SynthesisSynthesis– UpToDateUpToDate


ORGANIZING FOR FUTUREORGANIZING FOR FUTURE

PubMed – Save search / CollectionsPubMed – Save search / Collections– Email alertsEmail alerts

Zotero – importing citationsZotero – importing citations Mendeley – importing citationsMendeley – importing citations


THANK YOUTHANK YOU

www.qmedkf.org.inwww.qmedkf.org.in

STRUCTURED APPROACH TO DATABASE / LITERATURE SEARCHING

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