Step 1

Summarise your topic in one phrase or short sentence. For example: Therapies for pain relief.

Step 2

Identify some preliminary search words / phrases. Note any alternative terms, spellings, acronyms or synonyms that you could try if your initial words do not work. Also, make a note of any concepts to exclude.

For example: pain, therapy, drug therapy, physiotherapy, pain relief.

Step 3

Choose the most appropriate database(s) for your subject from this list. 

Step 4

Decide how you're going to combine your search words (keywords) in your database search. You can use the words AND, OR or NOT.

OR is a wide search and will find articles with one or more of the search terms you use.

AND is a narrower and more precise search, and will only find items that contain all the search terms you use.

NOT is used to exclude certain terms.

The main combinations for some of the search terms from Step 2 are illustrated here:

Pain relief AND drug therapy: finds articles relating to the use of drugs to relieve pain. Where these circles overlap is where the relevant articles will be found.

Physiotherapy OR drug therapy: finds articles relating to either physiotherapy or drug therapy. On this diagram, useful articles could be found in any of the coloured areas.

Pain relief NOT drug therapy: finds articles relating to methods of relieving pain without using drugs. On this diagram, useful articles will only be found in the section on the left.

Step 5

Think of some sensible limits to refine your results. Here are some popular options:

• Publication date
• Electronic full-text (in University of Bedfordshire collection)
• Research articles
• Peer-reviewed journal
• Age group
• English language
• Journals published in the UK (or Ireland)

Step 6

Appraise your results. Use the keywords of a relevant article to modify your search strategy. You might find this tutorial for evaluating information (from Cardiff University) useful.

Step 7

Use some of the following tips to improve your results.

Too few?

• Double-check your spelling. 
• Combine alternative terms with OR to broaden your search (American spellings, synonyms, acronyms...)
• Truncate terms (for example, communication truncates to communicat*)
• Remove some of the limits you set at Step 5.
• Snowball from a good result.  Use the 'Find more like this option'.
• Use the database's Subject Headings to identify and explode a more general term
• Search another database (with different coverage)

Too many?

• Add extra keywords with AND to focus your search
• Exclude terms with NOT (what keywords do irrelevant hits have in common?)
• Apply some more limits
• Specify the type of article required eg Research article
• Use the database's Subject Headings to focus on the concept
• Search a different database with special focus (such as Cochrane for evidence-based practice)

Too vague?

• Use Subject Headings to focus on the most important concepts
• Use the Subject Headings tree to find a narrower Subject Heading
• Use more limits
• Try PICO analysis to plan a tighter search strategy