Before you start searching online databases, it's good to have a grasp of some of the general techniques. You might find our Database Help Guide useful. Read the pages on Searching in a Database.

Before you get going, you need to come up with a search strategy - which may evolve and change as you go on with your searching. This involves:

• Breaking your research question down into discrete searchable concepts
• Coming up with synonyms (words and phrases) for each concept
• Deciding how to combine your terms (using Boolean operators)
• Deciding on the limits of your search (language, date of publication, study type etc)
• Deciding which databases are the best ones to use for your topic

Databases and other online resources are similar in what they offer and what they do, but are different in their specific appearance and functionality. It's a good idea to check a database's Help section to check and confirm how to search in that particular database.

In reviewing your searching, you might need to ask if you have:

• searched the most appropriate databases for your topic?
• checked for spelling mistakes or typos?
• used a comprehensive list of search terms appropriate to your search framework (eg. PICO)?
• used thesaurus terms/subject headings specific to each database?
• used combing operators (AND, OR) appropriately?
• added any new terms discovered while searching to all your database searches?

The PRESS Checklist for reviewing search strategies has been developed by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). See the PRESS Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies: 2015 Guideline Statement

Most databases in the sciences have a subject headings list or thesaurus attached. This is a way indexers assign standard labels to articles that are on similar topics.  It can make searching much easier because if you miss a synonym for a particular concept, it should be covered by the subject heading/s it has been assigned.

Best practice in searching encourages the use of both keyword searching and thesaurus searching as part of your search strategy.

For a demonstration on how to to do this, see Advanced Searching in CINAHL and Advanced Searching in Medline.

Each specific database has its own thesaurus, using terms familiar in that discipline. Medline uses MeSH (Medical Subject Headings), CINAHL uses CINAHL headings, and EmCare uses EMTREE. For this reason, searching across multiple databases is not effective with subject headings. If you repeat a search in different databases, you can re-use the same keywords, but you will have to use the appropriate thesaurus terms for that specific database.

A search filter is a pre-made search strategy. They are developed to search complex concepts (or concepts that require many search terms) and they can be copied and pasted into a database, edited and combined with the rest of your search.  

Using a search filter can save time and effort. They are designed to be either precise, balanced or specific, depending on what results you want to yield. 

There are a range of search filters available depending on your needs. Some are designed to retrieve specific study designs, others will retrieve records based on topic, or to identify clinical concepts, or features such as the age or gender of research study participants.

Study Design / Methodologies Filters

Topic Filters