How to perform effective searching?

Whether you’re conducting a systematic review, preparing a report, or exploring a topic, effective searching ensures that you find the most relevant and high-quality information.

A well-structured search strategy helps you avoid wasting time on irrelevant results and strengthens the credibility of your research.

Step 1: Define Your Research Question

The first and most important step is defining your research question. A clear question helps guide your search and prevents information overload.

For clinical research, the PICO framework is a useful tool:

• P (Population or Patient)

• I (Intervention or Exposure)

• C (Comparison)

• O (Outcome)

For example, if you’re researching a new diabetes medication, your PICO framework might look like this:

• P: Patients with diabetes

• I: New medication

• C: Usual care

• O: Blood sugar control

This helps frame the research question:

“In patients with diabetes, how does the new medication compare to usual care in improving blood sugar control?”

Step 2: Develop a Search Strategy

Once your question is clear, the next step is developing a search strategy using keywords and Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to refine results:

• AND narrows your search by including both terms (e.g., diabetes AND medication).

• OR broadens your search by including synonyms (e.g., faculty OR teachers OR professors).

• NOT excludes specific terms (e.g., students NOT dental).

• Brackets () are used to group synonyms or related terms (e.g., (heart disease OR cardiac arrest) AND smoking).

Step 3: Choose the Right Sources

Different databases and platforms specialise in different fields:

• PubMed – Medical and life sciences

• Scopus/Web of Science – Multidisciplinary research

• Institutional access – University libraries often provide access to subscription-based journals.

Using the right sources ensures comprehensive and reliable results.

Step 4: Search and Evaluate Results

When searching in a database like PubMed, start by entering your keywords, then use filters to refine your results by publication date, study type, or language. Once you gather articles:

• Scan the title and abstract to see if it matches your research question.

• Check the full text for study design, sample size, and findings.

• Look for biases, conflicts of interest, and peer-review status to assess credibility.

Step 5: Document Your Search Process

For systematic reviews or detailed research, documenting your search ensures transparency and reproducibility. Keep a record of:

• Databases searched

• Search terms and Boolean operators used

• Filters applied

This makes it easier for others to replicate your search and ensures consistency in research findings.

To recap, effective searching involves five key steps:

1. Define your research question clearly.
2. Develop a strong search strategy using Boolean operators.
3. Choose the right databases for your field.
4. Evaluate search results for relevance and credibility.
5. Document your process for transparency and reproducibility.

By following these steps, you’ll save time, improve research quality, and ensure reliable results.