Creating a Search Strategy
Putting it all Together
A comprehensive search strategy will include:
A comprehensive search strategy will include:
1. Correct use of Boolean Operators AND OR NOT
2. Relevant keywords for each concept (including synonyms and possibly antonyms)
3. Truncation (* $) e.g. adolescen* retrieves adolescent, adolescents, or adolescence
using Wildcards (# ?) e.g. wom#n retrieves woman or women
4. Phrase searching to search for particular phrases e.g. “mental health”
5. Subject Headings where applicable.
Visit this link for guidance on advanced search techniques:
https://libguides.library.universityofgalway.ie/Systematic_Reviews/Advancedsearchtechniques
Imagine that you are putting together a search strategy for the following research question
The impact of technology on older adults in social isolation
Example of how you might combine concepts:
Technology AND Older Adults AND Social Isolation
You will also need to think of other keywords relating to these concepts depending on the scope of the question
For example for “technology” you may want to consider particular types of technologies that fit your inclusion criteria e.g. social media, ICTs mobile phones etc. and for “older adults” you will also need to explore keywords such as aged, aging, seniors etc.
3. A sample search strategy might look something like this:
(technolog* OR “mobile phone*” OR cellphone* OR ICTs) AND (aged or aging or ageing or elder* or geriatric*) AND (“social isolat*” OR alienat* OR solitude)
And a more refined search truncating the Aged concept:
(technolog* OR “mobile phone*” OR cellphone* OR ICTs) AND (ag* or elder* or geriatric*) AND (“social isolat*” OR alienat* OR solitude)
Note: As you will see this example includes keywords for the different concepts & includes truncation to include different endings. For a more comprehensive search, all relevant keywords would need to be included and if using some of the medical databases you would also need to use relevant subject headings.
