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Connecting Key Concepts
To retrieve precise information that you want, you need to link your key search concepts by typing connector or Boolean terms. Three of the most used linking connectors are:
| and |
all terms must be present in an article record |
heart rate and exercise |
| or |
at least one term must be present (remember to place parenthesis around "or"statements) |
(exercise or endurance training) |
| not |
first term must be present but not second |
endurance training not treadmill |
Truncation
Truncation lets you search all the variations of a word stem by typing in a word root followed by the truncation symbol. For example, truncating the term prevent* would retrieve records containing the word prevents, prevention, and prevent.
Finding the Right Terms
| CINAHL |
Use default "Suggest Subject terms" or select "CINAHL Headings" |
| Health Source |
Use "Subjects" |
| IngentaConnect |
No subject headings |
| MEDLINE |
Use default "Suggest Subject Terms" or select "MeSH" (Medical Subject Headings) |
| Pre-CINAHL |
No subject headings |
Finding "Peer Reviewed" and "Journal" Articles
CINAHL:
- Select "Peer Reviewed". Note - To specify "Expert Peer Reviewed", locate "Journal Subset" and select desired term
- For journal articles, click "Refine Search", locate “Publication Type” box, select "Journal Article"
Health Source:
- Select "Peer Reviewed"
- Does not provide option to select journal articles only
MEDLINE:
- Medline does not have an option to limit your search to peer reviewed articles, but most articles in this database are reviewed by non-editorial experts.
- For journal articles, click "Refine Search", locate “Publication Type” box, select "Journal Article"
IngentaConnect:
- Does not have an option to limit your search to peer reviewed articles, or to journals generally
Last Update: 03.2005
Comments: Ask-A-Librarian
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