Information Search Strategies

Introduction

I still remember attending an information searching tutorial during my first year of university.

  • In the tutorial, we were introduced to various online database subscribed by the university, including Embase, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, ProQuest, PubMed and ScienceDirect, as well as several information searching strategies.
  • To be honest, I have likely forgotten most of the tutorial content.
  • Moreover, graduating from university also meant losing access to this vast array of library resources.
Before conducting any Google Search, it is crucial to consider whether the information you seek might already be available in existing references, such as medical textbooks or evidence-based clinical resources.

Below is a sharing of my personal approach to conducting Google Searches.



Choosing Search Terms

When conducting a literature search, it is generally recommended to start with broad keywords and refine them later. This helps capture a wider range of relevant articles.

  • For example, to search for the safety of saw palmetto supplements in diabetic patients, you could initially use the terms "saw palmetto AND diabetes."
  • This approach allows you to find articles on whether saw palmetto improves, worsens, or has no effect on diabetes, as well as potential interactions or side effects.



Identifying Alternative Keywords

After your initial search, consider using synonyms or related terms.

  • In this case, you might explore keywords like "saw palmetto AND blood sugar," "saw palmetto AND glucose" or "saw palmetto AND contraindications in diabetes".
  • This helps ensure you don't miss relevant articles that use different terminology.



Searching for Exact Phrases

If your initial search results include many articles mentioning only one of your keywords, you can use double quotation marks to search for exact phrases.

  • For example, searching for "genetic engineering" will only return results where those words within double quotation marks appear together.
  • This can be helpful for narrowing down your search to specific concepts.



Using Federated Search Engine

For clinical information retrieval, federated search engines like TRIP (www.tripdatabase.com) can be a powerful tool. These engines simultaneously search across various sources, including:

  • Synthesised sources (systematic reviews including Cochrane Reviews)
  • Summarised sources (including practice guidelines from North American, Europe, Australia/New Zealand and elsewhere, as well as electronic textbooks)
  • Pre-appraised sources (such as the journals of Evidence-Based Medicine and Evidence-Based Mental Health)
  • All clinical query domains in PubMed



Summary

Lastly, another concern regarding Google Search results is that they are often heavily personalized based on individual search histories. This can lead to biased results.

  • For example, healthcare professionals who frequently search for medical information may receive more specialized and concise results compared to the general public.



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