Creating Your Search Strategy
Strategic searching can give you better results and help tune out undesired literature citations. Suggestions to consider when creating your search strategy are:
- Analyze your protocol (Questions to start your search);
- Consider each major question as a separate search string-- Don’t be afraid to break your protocol down into multiple searches/search strings; so as to address each question;
- Determine which databases and/or other resources (webpages, journal, books, etc.) are best for your specific search topic;
- Identify keywords/ search terms for your search; and
- Think of similar terms (synonyms) that might also be used to describe these concepts.