This document provides research strategies and tips for speech-language pathology students. It discusses developing effective search strategies using keywords, Boolean operators, and subject headings. Several databases relevant to speech-language pathology are described, including ComDisDome, PubMed, CINAHL, and ERIC. Tips are provided for searching databases, evaluating results, and obtaining full-text articles. Assistance resources available through the library are highlighted.
2. Today’s Objectives:
Learn research search strategies
Examine useful electronic resources
for Speech-Language Pathology
Learn how to get research assistance
Two activities:
Search ComDisDome, MEDLINE, PubMed &
CINAHL
Dissecting databases
3. Tips for your search strategy
Develop a thesis statement
Describe your topic with keywords
Find out if the database has specific
headings that might better define your
topic. Most databases have a subject
thesaurus or controlled vocabulary (like
MeSH for MEDLINE).
4. Search Tips (Continued)
Formulate your search by breaking
your topic into variables
Example: Auditory perceptual disorders in children
born prematurely vs. full term.
Tip: You do not have to search every word.
premature
Full term
Auditory
perceptual
disorders
5. Search Tips (Continued)
Create search statements using Boolean operators
AND narrows a search
Example: auditory perceptual disorders and child*
OR broadens a search
Example: auditory perceptual disorders or central auditory dysfunction or
word deafness
NOT excludes terms from a search
Example: children not adults
6. Search Tips (Continued)
Combining terms using Boolean Operators
Auditory perceptual disorders
and infant premature
and full term
52
1,797
5,472
8,413
7. Search Tips (Continued)
Truncation
Truncation symbols or wildcards or
plural searching
(examples: *, #, !, ?, +)
Allows you to search for terms with multiple endings
e.g. diabet* searches for diabetes, diabetic
e.g. student* searches for student, students
8. Search Tips (Continued)
What to do if you get too much?
Limit options, e.g. age, geography, ethnicity,
gender
Field searching, e.g. subject headings, date,
language
Combine searches or add more concepts
What to do if you get too few?
Eliminate concepts/use broader topic
Related articles (PubMed, Get it @CSULB)
Cited references
9. Search Tips (Continued)
Once you figure out what type of Information you
need, you have to choose the best place to find it.
Books Articles
Scholarly or
popular
Internet
10. Finding Articles
Use a research database
Library pays for your access
Search databases to find citations &
or full-text
11. START HERE
Speech/Language Pathology
LibGuide
Portal to your information needs
ComDiscDome
CINAHL – Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature
MEDLINE
PubMed – boolean operators in caps, related articles link
ERIC
Academic Search Elite
PsycInfo
Cochrane Library – evidence based medicine
ScienceDirect
Wiley InterScience
12. Finding Articles
Search database and evaluate results
• Scholarly v. popular
• Too much or too little or not appropriate
Find full text using the citation
• Check Get it @ CSULB
• Check COAST
Get from BeachReach,if needed
• Online form in COAST
• Free
• Usually receive in hours
17. ComDisDome
Primary discipline database
Covers the communication disorders
literature, with focus on speech-
language pathology and audiology
Updated monthly
18. PubMed@CSULB
Includes MEDLINE
Free version
Boolean operators in caps
AND, OR, NOT
Lists similar & related articles
Basic & Advanced search
19. Journal Article Citation: A Review
Author (s)
Article Title
Journal Title
Volume #
(Issue #)
Page #
Date
= Citation
21. MEDLINE
Uses MeSH (Medical Subject Headings
Has Get it@CSULB feature
Indexes medical journals 1951-
Updated monthly
22. CINAHL Plus with Full-Text
Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature
Contains citations and sometimes abstracts &
full-text from scholarly nursing & allied health
journals, book chapters, government
documents, dissertations, etc.
Some records include the cited references
23. Dissertation & Theses
1997 – full-text
Search by discipline, keyword or institutional
affiliation
Contains the full text of CSULB thesis from
1996–
More Search Options
Universities/Institutions
24. Dissecting & comparing databases
Answer the following for ComDisDome &
PubMed:
• Can you search by fields - keywords, subject,
author, article title, journal title - and how do
you switch to other fields?
Are there any limit options?
What is the truncation symbol?
Does it have Get It @CSULB?
Is there a Help link?
25. COAST CSULB Library catalog
Search for books, e-books, journals,
government documents, reserves
Get materials from other libraries
Use Link+ to get books from 30+ libraries
Get Library PIN number to connect
from home
Click on “View My Library Record” and follow the directions
If you have problems with your PIN – visit the Circulation Desk
26. Finding a SLP thesis in Coast
Advanced Keyword Search
Long Beach thesis
Department: Communicative Disorders
Your topic
28. SAGE Research Methods Online
(SRM)
Excellent source for research methodology “how to”
Provides links to SAGE’s renowned books (e.g. entire Little Green
Book and entire Little Blue Book, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and
handbooks), journal and reference content.
Green books focus on quantitative methods
Blue books focus on qualitative methods
29. Useful Citing Sites
Internal citation generators
RefWorks
What is it?
Powerful online research management, writing and
collaboration tool designed to help researchers at
all levels easily gather, organize, store and share
all types of information and to instantly generate
citations and bibliographies.
Why should you use it?
Saves you mega time and energy
Allow easy manipulation of data
Long term preservation of your research
Free!!!
31. This box will pop up when you click on a research
database from home:
32. Need Research Help?
Speech-Language Pathology LibGuide
http://csulb.libguides.com/cd
Susan Luévano until HS Librarian is hired
Susan.luevano@csulb.edu
Office hours: Wed. 2:30-4:30 PM
Library 4th
floor, room 416
Research & Information Desk
Chat with a Librarian 24/7
http://www.csulb.edu/library/247ref.html
Online Library video clips/coming soon!
Health Science Librarian starts in October
Notas do Editor
Both variables must appear in same citation.
Terms have different meanings.
example: “patients AND communication”
Both variables must appear in same citation.
Terms have different meanings.
example: “patients AND communication”
Both variables must appear in same citation.
And - Terms have different meanings.
example: “patients AND communication”
Or Either term may appear in citation.
example: “nursing OR nurses”
Not is to be used with caution – can eliminate what you want – only use when trying to eliminate from too many choices
Some databases use quotation marks to look for phrases
So use the online help screens to make sure
Use COAST to search for the materials here at CSULB
View and renew your books and materials, now see status of InterLibrary Loan materials
Use LINK + to get books from local libraries
And as I talked about earlier get library PIN number to connect from home