Training

1
Training

• Advanced Searching on DataStar Web

2
Objective

• Effective searching using advanced search skills

3
Session Formats

• Presentation
• Online demonstrations
• Questions and answers

4
Agenda

• Introduction
• Citations
• Multifile Searching
• Free Text Searching v Controlled Vocabulary
• Using Limits
• Additional Indexing
• Conclusion

5
Agenda

• Introduction
• Citations
• Multifile Searching
• Free Text Searching v Controlled Vocabulary
• Using Limits
• Additional Indexing
• Conclusion

6
Viewing Titles

• A typical database citation consists of title,
  journal, date and author references, e.g.
• (MEZZ) Link to fully indexed abstractIndications
  for requesting laboratory tests for concurrent
  diseases in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome
  a systematic review. Clinical chemistry
  Clin-Chem 2003 Sep, VOL 49 (9), P 1437-44,
  Refs 31, ISSN 0009-9147. van-Dijk-Mariska-A-J,
  Reitsma-Johannes-B, Fischer-Johan-C,
  Sanders-Gerard-T-B.

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Searching Author Names

• An author citation is always searched using the
  surname first followed by a hyphen and the first
  and/or second initial or first name (where
  applicable), e.g.
• Borg-A
• Borg-A-J
• Borg-Anders

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Searching Author Names

• If you are not sure how an author name is indexed
  in a database you can truncate your search,
  e.g.
• Asaf-F
• Asaf-
• By replacing the with a ? you can obtain a list
  of related terms, e.g.
• Asaf-F?
• Asaf-?

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Searching Journal Names

• Journals and other publications are presented
  with bibliographic content in the Source field,
  e.g.
• The Journal of asthma J-Asthma 2003 Jun, VOL
  40 (4), P 445-50, ISSN 0277-0903.
• All the elements of the publication are
  searchable
• - the journal title
• - the abbreviated journal title
• - date, volume, page and ISSN

10
Searching Journal Names

• It is important to omit any punctuation when
  searching a citation as DataStar does not
  recognise punctuation marks
• Each database may index a journal name
  differently
• Use the ? feature, e.g. to verify journal entries
  and obtain a list of journal names
• asthma?
• journal-of-asthma? (note the use hyphens for
  multiple words)

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Searching Journal References

• To obtain a precise reference, use Boolean Logic
  to combine elements from a citation in the Source
  field, e.g. for
• Prenatal diagnosis Prenat-Diagn 2003 May, VOL
  23 (5), P 372-4, ISSN 0197-3851
• Prenatal Diagnosis AND 2003
• Prenat-Diagn AND (P NEXT 372-4)
• BMJ NEXT VOL NEXT 327 NEXT 7420
• 0197-3851 AND (2003 MAY)

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Searching Author and Journal Citations

• You can also combine Author and Source
  information by searching each separately and
  combining sets, e.g.
• 1 Kang-Song-K (Author)
• 2 American journal of clinical oncology
  (Source)
• 3 1 AND 2

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Citations
• Multifile Searching
• Free Text Searching v Controlled Vocabulary
• Using Limits
• Additional Indexing
• Conclusion

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Multifile Searching

• DataStar Web is designed to facilitate searches
  in individual databases and database groups
• Both types of searching are available in
  different forms through the two search modes
  Easy Search and Advanced Search

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Multifile Searching

• Repeating searches using indexed terms is only
  possible where databases have common indexed
  paragraphs
• Where there are no common paragraphs, compatible
  search strategies should be use.
• Where databases do not have common indexing, a
  better approach will be to carry out unique
  searches in each database
• It is still possible to remove duplicates from
  these searches

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Multifile Searching

• Removing Duplicates
• It is possible to remove duplicates from repeated
  sets or sets with unique search strategies
  carried out in different databases
• Click
• This will create a set with dropped duplicates
  and a set of unique records
• Removing Duplicates gives you the option of
  choosing which sets you want to de-duplicate

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Multifile Searching

• Splitting Sets
• After removing duplicates click to see
  how many records come from each database
• The split result shows the titles corresponding
  to each of the de-duplicated lists from the
  databases used
• The breakdown indicates which database the
  greatest number of results from the search

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Citations
• Multifile Searching
• Free Text Searching v Controlled Vocabulary
• Using Limits
• Additional Indexing
• Conclusion

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Free Text Searching v Controlled Vocabulary

• Databases such as Medline and Embase are indexed
  with a controlled vocabulary that defines the
  scope of each article
• This means that free text searching alone does
  not produce the best results in many cases
• The database indexing can be utilised to make
  searches more relevant and precise
• The indexing comes from a Controlled vocabulary
  called MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) in Medline
  and EMTREE (Excerpta Medica Biomedical Thesaurus)
  in Embase

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Benefits of MESH / EMTREE Thesaurus

• There is no need to use synonyms or alternative
  spellings of medical terms
• Controlled search terms mean more precise results
  
• Fast and accurate retrieval
• The Thesaurus is expandable and includes related
  terms and broader and narrower categories

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Thesaurus Mapping

• Embase, Medline and CINAHL have a Thesaurus
  Mapping function that maps a free text search to
  the online Thesaurus
• To enable Thesaurus Mapping, tick the box above
  the search bar
• Perform a free text search making sure that you
  allow for a reasonable date range (e.g. 6 months
  or 12 months)
• A ranked list of terms is retrieved from MESH and
  EMTREE in order of relevance

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MESH and EMTREE Enter a Term

• Thesaurus Mapping is the most useful way of
  obtaining the preferred vocabulary from MESH and
  EMTREE
• You can also make use of the Enter a Term
  function to verify a correct descriptor, for e.g.
• - searching for the drug name Retrovir in
  Embase using Thesaurus Mapping retrieves the
  conditions this drug is designed to treat first
• - by searching for Retrovir in the Thesaurus
  directly, the generic INN name for the drug is
  confirmed as Zidovudine

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Thesaurus Structure

• MeSH and EMTREE are arranged in a hierarchical
  tree structure, with broader, narrower and
  related categories like a family tree
• The Thesaurus contains many synonyms which can be
  used as pointers to the correct descriptor term
• This hierarchical structure allows you to search
  on a term plus all the narrower, more specific
  terms in one step this is known as Exploding

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Exploding

• Exploding means searching a broad descriptor that
  contains one or more narrower terms
• By clicking on the Thesaurus term, the broader
  and narrower categories are displayed, e.g.
• Retinitis is categorised under the broader term
  Eye Inflammation (in Embase)
• It also contains several narrower terms such as
  Exudative-Retinitis, Chorioretinitis etc

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Exploding

• Clicking Explode automatically incorporates the
  narrower related terms into your search
• If you search the broader term on its own, e.g.
  Lung Neoplasms in Medline, the search will be
  restricted to the more general topic and does not
  automatically retrieve articles on
  Carcinoma-Bronchogenic
• You can also choose to select the narrower terms
  manually from the list if you do not wish to
  include all the narrower terms

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Major Descriptors

• By ticking the Major option in the Thesaurus
  heading, searches will be restricted to those
  articles containing major descriptors
• Major descriptors are assigned to articles where
  the subject matter denoted by the descriptor is
  central to the article
• Choosing Major thus focuses on the most
  significant articles

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Medline Subheadings

• Subheadings are incorporated into the MESH
  Thesaurus and are designed to focus a search on
  specific areas of medical research, e.g.
• diagnosis
• therapy
• etiology
• drug therapy etc.
• A definition of each subheading is provided in
  the Scope Notes below the list of terms

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Embase Subheadings

• In Embase, subheadings are called Links
• These are added to Emtree descriptors
• Links were added in 1988 and can only be searched
  from that year
• There are 77 links divided into 2 types-
• drug links - assigned to drug or chemical
  descriptors
• medical links - assigned to medical descriptors
• Drug Therapy (DT) is assigned to both
• In 2000 47 drug links were added to include
  routes of drug administration
• These were previously only medical descriptors
  and should be searched as such pre 2000

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Subheadings

• Medline only displays those Subheadings that are
  relevant to the selected Thesaurus term
• Embase displays all available subheadings but
  divides them into two distinct sections Medical
  Links and Drug Links
• When adding Subheadings to a search, it is
  preferable to search on one descriptor at a time
  rather than combining terms from the Thesaurus
• Search sets can be combined later once the
  Subheadings have been added

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Quick Subheadings

• Medline and Embase contain Quick Subheadings in
  which related topics are combined, e.g.
• - Quick Therapy (Medline) includes therapy, drug
  therapy, diet therapy, nursing, prevention and
  control, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery
  and transplantation
• Embase provides Quick subheadings for both
  medical and drug links, e.g.
• - Quick Toxicology includes toxicology, adverse
  effects, side effects

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Citations
• Multifile Searching
• Free Text Searching v Controlled Vocabulary
• Using Limits
• Additional Indexing
• Conclusion

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Limits

• Searches can be refined by using Limits
• Simply tick the relevant boxes on the search page

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Publication Year v Date of Entry

• The year of publication for a journal article can
  be different from the date it was added to the
  database
• Use the Publication Year field (where available)
  OR
• Use the Limit option to restrict your search to a
  particular publication year
• The Limit option also allows you to search
• From a specific year (greater than)
• To a particular year (less than)
• Exclusive to a particular year (equal to)
• Excluding a particular year (not equal to)

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Citations
• Multifile Searching
• Free Text Searching v Controlled Vocabulary
• Using Limits
• Additional Indexing
• Conclusion

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Additional Indexing

• Searches can also be restricted to particular
  categories including
• Age Groups
• Publication Type
• Language
• These categories are searched separately and
  added to an existing or forthcoming search set

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Finally

• Use the NHS Core Content web site
• nhs.dialog.com
• Use the Knowledge Centre
• 0800 69 00 00
• customer_at_thomson.com