Literature_Searching_Method

Introduction Compared with the traditional and the retrieved printed journal methods, electronic databases allow researchers or students to get information quickly, up-to-date, and wider ranges of options. The aim of this essay is to explain some methods used in search presentation article on that time, including how to use the truncating key terms way and Boolean operators to choose key words. Meanwhile, the essay will critically analyse and evaluate the searching techniques used to find the related articles from databases and other sources this time, and exploring how to improve better in the future. Main body * Describe and Justify the Searching Methods During the process of search presentation article, the first step is to decide the topic, and then according to the topic, to select the key terms for exploring the academic article. For the obesity presentation topic by quantitative research studies, the key terms are “quantitative” and “obes*”, the “obes*” can be obese and obesity, instead of one word. Therefore, through using wildcard (*) to truncate words, a series of words related to it, like the verb, the noun, the adjective, the adverb…they are all can show in the results. This approach can retrieve more relevant articles, rather than limitation one key term. In addition, the Boolean operators is useful way to search the required data, it contains words “AND”, “OR”, “NOT” to narrow down or broaden out the research outcomes (Jesson, Matheson and Lacey, 2011). There has another effective skill is to identify synonyms and alternative key terms and combine with the Boolean operators. That is, the alternative key term of obesity is overweight. So, the core words can put the “quantitative AND obes* OR overweight”. Not only by above methods, through setting limited elements to refine and restrain the irrelevant articles in databases is a meaningful process. Those factors include date, language, geographical region, subject, type of source (Bhandol, 2012). For example, in the DISCOVERY database, adjusting the date from 2008 to 2012, only available in English and full-text academic journals, and subject can be involved in obesity, overweight, physical activity, health…For obese, as this is a global issue and the topic did not mention have to focus on which country, so there was not a requirement to set geography. Through these screenings, the results became closer to the desired article and less range, like ‘upside-down pyramid’, where the search starts with a higher number of search items and gradually narrows down. Finally, the literature “Exercise and exercise intention among obese and overweight individuals” (Smith, Griffin and Fitzpatrick, 2011) meets the criteria, using quantitative research method to prove the influences between obesity and exercises. The keywords highlighted in that article including “exercise; obesity; nurse practitioners; behaviour modification; decisional balance...” (Smith, Griffin and Fitzpatrick, 2011). So, through typing in key terms “quantitative AND obes* OR overweight” in the databases could find the keywords “obese and overweight” in the title and “quantitative” in the abstract. Furthermore, through online clicking the words involving in the item of “Subject Terms” listed in the abstract can allow people to browse words in the database indexes linked to related articles. Meanwhile, the referencing list of the article provides the readers the helpful information as well. Thus, even one research paper also can extend to other sources. Except DISCOVERY database, there have some other databases and sources also can access the literature. For instance, in the Digital Library, from “Databases for my subject” category choose “Health (Nursing, Midwifery & ODP)”, there list some different groups of databases regarding those courses, like “Healthcare databases”, “Databases for related subjects”, “Useful general databases”, one of the useful database is “CINAHL Plus with Full Text - key for nursing, midwifery & healthcare topics”. By typing in the same key terms and setting the search options, it can retrieve the same literature, and using this way is more efficient and faster than picking up DISCOVERY database, there also have some other good nursing and health articles in the “British Nursing Index”. Moreover, in the Digital Library, from “Nursing and Health Professionals collection” under “Ejournal collections” part can explore the valuable reports. * Critically analyse and Evaluate the Searching Methods Searching academic articles and data for research studies is a time-consuming and laborious task, but by using the efficient and effective approach and procedures, it will become a quick and significant process. In order to make it more efficient next time, the search process should be changed years span from initially 2008 to 2010, so the publication date become 2010 to 2012, because according to obesity this topic covers loads of current research papers. And the latest literatures usually give the medical staffs up-to-date information, it is beneficial than old articles. However, limiting search results by year of publication may omit some key papers that were published earlier (Timmins and McCabe, 2005). Nevertheless, by adopting limitations to shrink the searching scope need to take into account the topic. If the topic is general, it has plenty of articles, so through that way can get better and faster effects. On the other hand, if the topic is not very common, to put up the restriction need to be wider and looser than general topic, otherwise, it may not find the desired paper. Timmins and McCabe (2005) state that it is necessary to define and narrow down a choice of topic before beginning a literature search, as choosing too wide a subject makes it difficult to find relevant articles. In retrospect, a more efficient search strategy would have been to focus on a specific aspect of obesity (or a particular age group), rather than looking at the subject as a whole, like during the previous presentation, the topic was special for adult obesity. Additionally, Aveyard (2010) emphasises the importance of having a robust search strategy and choosing the right keywords in order to retrieve the most relevant literature, avoiding random selection and results. Search terms must also be spelled correctly, as Cleary, Hunt and Horsfall (2009) state that many searches are unsuccessful because of bad spelling and punctuation. In the article ‘Exercise and exercise intention among obese and overweight individuals’, it not only meet the presentation topic and research style, adopting quantitative research study on obese, but also considering from date, authors and research content points of view. This literature is a primary research article, and was published at Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (United States) in 2011, and the three authors were Senior Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Professor of Nursing respectively in the University School or Department of Nursing. Therefore, all those information can indicate the article is reliable and high standard. In terms of type of literature, it includes various types, for example books, websites, newspapers, journals, magazines...each type has their own characteristics to demonstrate the literatures, but looking for research study articles, the suitable method is to choose article from scholar websites or online database and academic or professional journals, as they are renewed and issued more promptly than books. On the other hand, accessing articles through electronic ways is generally more convenient, efficient and cost-effective, compared with printed materials. Saving the search outcomes and actions properly is a practical technique, that allows the people to retrieve back what they had done, thus avoiding to repeat the same step, and also available to check information in the future (Jesson, Matheson and Lacey, 2011). Therefore, in the DISCOVERY database, this procedure can be done through both “Search History” and “Add to Folder”. “Search History” is automatically exist in the database, it record the search activities and results; while, “Add to Folder” need the reader to chick the item, so the particular article will copy to the folder (on the top of screen), if the need to delete, it can be done at either in the folder or the database catalogue page. Based on this process, except the merits mentioned above, it also makes convenience for reader to compare and contrast the literatures they chose, and selecting and picking up the right one they prefer for their further study. Conclusion Like all the skills, how to successfully search academic article is one of the basic literature review skills for all the students. For this skill, the users also need to learn and practice; thereby, effective practices will get more experiences. Hence, through summarizing and critically grasping form the previous search experiences, and acquiring the learning from it, one can develop this skill. In addition, choosing what key terms and from which type of literature are the vital factors to be thought. Through a firm understanding and grasp, the literature searching approaches and procedures, the learners can get high quality articles for their further studies without spending too much time. References Aveyard, H. (2010) Doing a literature review in health and social care: a practical guide. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Bhandol, J. (2012) ‘Searching the literature’. Adopting Evidence Based Practice [Online]. Available at: http://breo.beds.ac.uk (Accessed: 10 January 2013). Cleary, M., Hunt, G. And Horsfall, J. (2009) ‘Conducting efficient literature searches: strategies for mental health nurses’, Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 47 (11), pp.34-41, EBSCOHost Discovery Service [Online]. Available at: http://0-search.ebscohost.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/login.aspx'direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010473792&site=eds-live&scope=site (Accessed: 10 January 2013). Jesson, JK., Matheson, l. and Lacey, FM. (2011) ‘Searching for information’, in Doing Your Literature Review. London: Sage. pp.26-45. Adopting Evidence Based Practice [Online]. Available at: https://breo.beds.ac.uk (Accessed: 08 January 2013). Smith, DW. Griffin, Q. and Fitzpatrick, J. (2011) ‘Exercise and exercise intentions among obese and overweight individuals’, Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 23(2), pp.92-100, Academic Search Elite with Full Text [Online]. Available at: http://0-ehis.ebscohost.com.brum.beds.ac.uk (Accessed: 08 January 2013). Timmins, F. and McCabe, C. (2005) ‘How to conduct an effective literature search’, Nursing Standard, 20 (11), pp.41-47, EBSCOHost Discovery Service [Online]. Available at: http://0-search.ebscohost.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/login.aspx'direct=true&db=afh&AN=19478151&site=eds-live&scope=site (Accessed: 10 January 2013).