Tricks in database searching for concept analysis terms

Tricks in database searching for concept analysis terms.

EBSCO examples

BACK TO: STRATEGIES BASED ON DATABASE
BACK TO: FIELD LABELS
BACK TO: PROXIMITY SEARCHING
BACK TO: SYNONYMS and TRUNCATION
BACK TO: The goal of the literature review

EBSCO databases include:

Alt-HealthWatch, Business Wire News, Clinical Reference Systems, Computer Source, Encyclopedia of Animals, Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, Health Source: Consumer Edition, Health Source: Nursing Edition, MAS Fulltext Ultra, Masterfile Premier, Medline, Middle Search Plus, Newspaper Source, Primary Search, Professional Development Collection, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, Religion & Philosophy Collection, Sociological Collection, SPORTDiscus, USP DI Volume II, Advice for the Patient

	TRUNCATION (WILDCARDS):	PROXIMITY (replace nn with a number)	LOGICAL OR
EBSCO	*	Nnn	OR

The search strategy might be a little complex due to the format of the entry screen:

Be prepared to enter the search phrase exactly as you want it to be searched. I recommend opening a text program, typing the phrase in that program, and then copying it over into the database search box.

The phrase should be in the form of:
(concept term Nnn definition synonym) OR (concept term Nnn definition synonym) OR (concept term Nnn definition synonym) OR (concept term Nnn definition synonym)

For Example:
(love N5 concept*) OR (love N5 defin*) OR (love N5 understand*) OR (love N5 conceiv*) OR (love N5 understood)

PASTE search phrase:
(love N5 concept*) OR (love N5 defin*) OR (love N5 understand*) OR (love N5 conceiv*) OR (love N5 understood)

Make sure you scroll and work with appropriate LIMITS.
CONSIDER only fulltext retrieval (not recommended for 1^st attempt within database)
CHECK search fulltext

If too many articles are retrieved, the search can easily be modified. Consider adding the concept word to be searched in the abstract or title fields. You could also search for disciplines (art, sociology, computer*) as additional terms.

However, even when searching for disciplines, all terms probably have synonyms.
I tend to add the phrase (Relig* or Theol* or Spirit*) when searching for religious items.

Go to: OVID examples

Go to: SCIENCEDIRECT examples

Go to: ACADEMIC UNIVERSE examples

Go to: FIRSTSEARCH examples

Go to: INFOTRAC examples

Helen Hough, Health Sciences Librarian, University of Texas at Arlington. This page covered by all applicable copyright laws.