

Try using this Search-plan-worksheetto break your topic down into concepts. OR will broaden your number of results while AND will produce fewer results. Be careful with NOT because it will exclude any results containing that search term regardless of whether other parts of the article might have been of interest. NOT limits the results by rejecting a particular search term. OR broadens the results of the search by ensuring that any of the search terms are present in the results. This involves using Boolean operators such as AND, OR and NOT.ĪND narrows the results of the search by ensuring that all the search terms are present in the results. In order to do this you need to build a search strategy. The next step is to combine your search terms in such a way that you only retrieve the more relevant references for your search question. Tip: It’s well worth taking a few minutes to get to know the databases available on the Library webpages and what they cover. If you have access to more than one library, it may be worth exploring the resources they offer. The RCN specialises in nursing-related materials. To access a range of databases, you may need to visit more than one library. There is more information and links to our databases on our Books, Journals and Databases page. Several more specific databases are also provided.
Out of your element synonym archive#
The RCN Library and Archive Service (LAS) offers their members access to CINAHL, British Nursing Index and MEDLINE which are useful for nursing topics. If your search is for a more in-depth assignment such as a dissertation, you will need to look at other databases. Library Search, as mentioned in Step 1 can be helpful for simple searches. The databases you choose will depend on the search question and the libraries you have access to. Once you have chosen your search terms, you need to think about the best databases for your topic. + STEP 4: Choose the most appropriate databases to search ×
