Tricks in database searching for concept analysis terms.

OVID 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

 

TRUNCATION
(WILDCARDS):

PROXIMITY
(replace nn with a number)

LOGICAL OR

OVID

*

Nnn

OR

Includes:
CINAHL,  Health and Psychosocial Instruments, Journals@Ovid Full Text  (Nursing Collection and Nursing Collection 2),  MLA Directory of Periodicals, MLA International Bibliography

O V I D Journals@Ovid Full Text
<September 16, 2002>		 Help

# Search History Results Display
1
(LOVE adj5 (concept$ or conceiv$ or defin$ or understand$ or understood)).af.
627 Display
2
love.ti,ab.
285 Display
3
1 and 2
61 Display
 
 

 

CINAHL is the only database that has a formal subject heading identifying items that are Concept Analysis. Always try a keyword search for your concept term and combine it with the subject: Concept Analysis. You may just happen to have a term with previously published concept analyses.

# Search History Results Display
1
concept analysis/
490 Display

 

      Enter word or phrase:

All Fields (af)
- or choose from among the following fields -

 

# Search History Results Display
1
concept analysis/
490 Display
2
Love.af.
3370 Display

 

 

# Search History Results Display
1
concept analysis/
490 Display
2
Love.af.
3370 Display
3
1 and 2
11 Display

 

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: EBSCO 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.