Tag: search strategy
Database search: how to use search terms?
Each database has its own method to make the contents of that database accessible and consultable. Most databases use "Basic search" and "Advanced search". Via "Basic search" you can filter the search results after performing a search. "Advanced search" allows you to choose more specific search criteria before performing a …
Read moreE-books
Ghent University has access to many e-books. You can find and read all of them in our catalogue if you follow these steps.
Access UGentNet
Make sure you are connected to the UGent network.
When you are connected, you will see this green light at the bottom of …
Read moreEmbase: comparison with PubMed and tips & tricks for searching
Embase is regarded as the European equivalent of PubMed/MEDLINE. When using the Embase search engine, you automatically browse not only the Embase database but also articles in PubMed/MEDLINE that have already been assigned MeSH terms.
AccessEmbase is only accessible via the UGent network.
Search operatorsEmbase can be …
Read moreGISMO: Research Explorer
GISMO is the Ghent University research information system. This system supports two aims: (1) database of all research related information (researchers with their career details and expertise, projects, publications and other types of output, research activities, equipment etc.) and (2) support/streamlining research related workflows (application and management of research proposals, …
Read moreGoogle: search tips
Google is a powerful search engine. But the results list can be endlessly long and at page 3 you still haven't found what you were looking for. These tips and tricks will help you specify a better search question.
- Use unique, specific terms (keywords, not sentences). E.g. search for headache …
Resources: helpful tools to find literature
These tools will help you find literature on the topic of your choice.
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lib.ugent.be
You can find over 4.000.000 references for books, serials, images, theses, and databases in the library catalogue of Ghent University. Many of these can be consulted online, from the comfort of your home.
If you can't …
Resources: search and find information
Do you need to write a text or do you need to find information and you are looking for the right resources? Follow the step-by-step plan below.
Step 1: define your subject- Narrow down your subject based on the literature you find.
- Explore the subject. You can read a paper …
Scholarly article: where to find it?
Search a bibliographic database
The best way to find qualitative scholarly articles is to use a bibliographic database. There are multidisciplinary databases (e.g. Scopus, Web of Science) as well as discipline-specific databases (e.g. PubMed for health sciences). These databases give an overview of published scholarly information, whether …
Read moreScopus: introduction
Scopus is an interdisciplinary bibliographical database. The video below is an excerpt from a tutorial and explains some of the basic features, such as:
- How do I access Scopus?
- How do I use the basic search feature in Scopus?
- How do I sort and filter my search results?
- How do …
Search: Boolean operators
The 3 most important Boolean operators that can be used to search on the internet are AND, OR and NOT. These operators are used as conjunctions to combine or exclude search terms in a search, resulting in more focused and productive results. The use of these operators can significantly …
Read moreSearching: what is a citation search?
A citation search can go forward or backward in time. If you go forward in time, you look for the sources that cited your original article. If you go back in time, you look for the sources cited by your original article (also called "snowball search").
Benefits … Read more
Searching: what is the snowball search method?
The snowball search method is a way of tracking down related works by using the bibliography or reference list at the end of an article as your starting point. After all, there is a good chance that the sources the author has consulted while writing will be relevant to your …
Read moreSources: primary, secundary, and tertiary sources
What are primary sources?
Primary sources are sources written (or made) by an original author. In exact sciences, these are lab logs, articles in which you present your research, the data you gathered during your research, etc. In social sciences these could be novels, paintings, archaeological objects, and so on. …
Read moreSystematic review: tips, tricks and tools
How do I formulate my research question and how do I formulate selection criteria?
Formulate a research question in which, if possible, all aspects of your topic are named. The PICO model is a tool for setting up a clinical research question. In this model the patient category (Population/Patient), …
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