HDFS422: Capstone in Family Relationships

Searching in databases is a bit different from searching in Google Scholar.  

Tip 1:  Search with words, not ideas.

Unlike Google Scholar, which uses natural language searching, our databases literally search for the string of letters you type in, so you may need to try a variety of terms to see which one will work. This is called keyword searching. Any time you are searching a database, try to think flexibly about possible words to use for the search. Think about all the ways that an idea could be described, and make a list: 

ex: domestic violence, intimate partner violence, interventions, treatment, education, support, etc.

Tip 2: Add one word or phrase at a time

We never know what words will work until we try them in a database. Build your search with a broad term and add more focused terms one at a time. Check your search results after each change to see how it affected the number and type of articles that are appearing. If a word doesn't work, try another or Ask a Librarian for terminology suggestions!

Tip 3: Switch databases

If you're not finding anything in one database, switch to another! There is no such thing as a database that has everything. Even google only has items that are both free and in digital formats. You will likely need 2-3 databases for any topic you choose.

Once you understand searching with keywords, you can combine those words in different ways. 

• OR - use this combining word when you have words that describe the same concept or phenomenon. Always enclose your OR statements with parenthesis to create a group of words that can be interchanged.
  • Ex) (disabilities OR autism OR "hearing impaired")
• AND - Use this when combining different concepts. When combining OR statements with a different concept, the AND should go outside the parenthesis.
• Quotation Marks - Use quotation marks around phrases. If you want two words to show up next to each other, you need to enclose them in quotation marks.
  • Ex) (disabilities OR autism OR "hearing impaired") AND "mobility aid"

The worksheets linked below are to help you develop your own systematic way of searching the literature. The OR statements can be copy-pasted into most databases to create a larger search statement. I recommend keeping a record of your searchers so you can reproduce them later as you work on your writing. 

Systematic review worksheet - This worksheet was created in Google Docs, so you'll need to log into a google account in order to make a copy and edit.

Example systematic review worksheet - This is an example of the completed systematic review worksheet.

If you record your searches in a search record document, you may want to also link to the search results that were provided for the specific search. This will allow you to review them as a team, and make changes as needed without re-creating the entire search. Here is where to find the permanent URL for a search in many of our databases:

EBSCOhost Databases: (ERIC, Education Source, Family and Society Studies, etc.)

ProQuest Databases: (ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, Theses and Dissertations, PsycInfo, etc.)