Literature Searching VET2703 January 2015

What will we be doing today?

• Refresher

• What is a literature review?

• Searching effectively for journal articles

• Identifying primary and secondary

research

Why research?

• Exercise 1: Group activity

Why “evidence-based practice”?

• Why is research important in health care? EBP = use

of research evidence in practice.

• Allows informed decisions to provide a better standard

of care

• Evidence-based practice in vet nursing still quite new

(in Vet Medicine from early 2000s)

• Without the support of evidence – expertise can

deteriorate and practice becomes outdated.

Doing a literature review

• Aim is to comprehensively review what is known

(published) on a subject – the “evidence base”

• Can be the starting point for further research – “sets

the scene” and/or application to practice

• Two parts: Thorough literature search

• Critical analysis of the findings

• For this module: 2000 words including discussing the

process of undertaking a review

Planning your search

Think about:

• Areas of interest

• Keywords

• Scope of subject

o limits?

Exercise 2

• Try a search using Summon or Science Direct for

information to help with this scenario:

• “Your practice sees a lot of overweight dogs. What

evidence is there about the best ways of preventing

or managing obesity?”

How did it go?

Planning your search

The PICO model

• Patient / population / problem

• Intervention

• Comparison

• Outcome

What exactly are you trying to find out?

• Check the following:

• * Is your question clear?

• * Is your question short i.e. a single sentence?

• * Is your question specific with a single focus?

Brainstorm - Canine obesity

Canines

• Dogs

• Ages?

• Breeds?

Obesity

• Overweight

• Weight management

• Healthy weight

• Related conditions e.g. diabetes, osteoarthritis

Prevention /management

etc

• Diet

• Nutrition

• Food/feeding

• Exercise

• Attitudes (owners, professionals)

What is the

role of the

veterinary

nurse in

prevention

and

management

of canine

obesity?

For any question:

• Consider the different keywords, related terms or subheadings within your question;

• Think of possible synonyms e.g. equine or horses;

• Search each element separately;

• Combine searches on the same or similar subjects with ORe.g. high blood pressure OR hypertension;

• Combine searches on different subjects using AND e.g. diabetes AND cats.

Sources to search

• Databases

• Summon

• Google Scholar

• Individual journals specific to your topic

Key databases for Veterinary

Nursing• All on the Vet Nursing library subject

guide

• http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/veterinarynursin

g

• Need to use a range of resources for a

thorough, comprehensive search

A few search tips...

• Search for phrases (“”):

eg. “infection control”

• Broaden your search (*):

eg. prevent* (finds prevent, prevents, preventing,

preventative etc)

A few search tips...

• Widen your search

eg. Obesity OR overweight OR weight management

• Narrow your search

eg. obesity AND canine

Limiting your search

• Date

• Peer reviewed?

• Type of article / study

• Research article

option is useful

(Science Direct,

CINAHL)

Try it yourself!

• Searching a database e.g. Science Direct, Summon

and other resource (e.g. Google Scholar) for peer

reviewed journal articles on:

Feline diabetes

(or your own topic)

Keeping track of your searches

Citation searching

• Allows you to move forwards and backwards in the

literature

• Use Google Scholar, Summon or Science Citation

Index

Primary or Secondary?

• In your groups, look at the ABSTRACTS and/or first

pages of the articles

• Is it primary or secondary research?

• How can you tell?

Distinguishing between primary andsecondary sources

•Primary sources – original research published by the researchers in peer-reviewed journals.

•Secondary sources – work that summarises, critiques or reviews primary research.

Accessing full text

• If using Summon or Science Direct, make sure you

have ticked / selected the appropriate limits.

• Check the library catalogue – Journal A-Z for

Journal title

• In MEDLINE, ‘Check library holdings’ will do this

for you

• Check Google Scholar for links to open access

papers

Access troubleshooting

• For best results, set the Middlesex cookie

• myUniHub> My Study > My Library

• Athens login = UniHub login

• N.B. If Middlesex isn’t mentioned on the screen,

choose Alternative login

• Troubleshooting guide on library subject pages:

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/accessingelectronicresource

s

But it’s not in the Library!

• Inter Library Loans

• British Library

• Google Scholar

• Institutional repositories

http://www.opendoar.org/find.php

Critical appraisal – why?• Part of your literature review!

• As practitioners ensures that your decisions

are based on good quality research

• The more you read the easier it gets

• Saves time by being able to assess if a piece

of research is of good quality and worth

reading

• Develop the ability to make your own

judgements on whether a research conclusion

is valid

Critiquing research – useful books and

articles

• http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/content.php?pid=59607&sid

=2106689

Citing & Referencing

• Referencing and plagiarism guide

• http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/plagiarismreferencing

• Guidelines, help with Turnitin, and referencing clinics

• Help from Library and LDU

Need further help?

• Librarians in the Study Hub (1st floor) core hours Monday –Friday

• 1:1 appointments bookable via the Veterinary Nursing guide

Jo Wilson j.r.wilson@mdx.ac.uk

Ask a Librarian http://askalibrarian.mdx.ac.uk/