Health Sciences Literature Searching Basics

This guide will serve as a starting point or refresher on how to find health sciences information for your research needs. It will introduce you to the basics of the information search process and help you prepare for a consultation meeting with a health sciences librarian. 

Information Search Process  

Information searching is an iterative process. Meaning that you will constantly be “building, refining, and improving” all aspects of your searching.  

It’s okay to go back and make adjustments so that you get the most out of your search. But the general steps in the information search process are: 

Step 1: Define your research question

• Background vs Foreground Questions 
• Planning your research question 
• Question Formulation Frameworks 

Step 2: Database Searching 

• Identify your database(s) to search  

Step 3: Build your search strategy 

• Subject headings and keywords 
• Searching with Operators, Parentheses, & Truncation Symbols 

Step 4: Evaluate your results  

• How to improve your search results 

Step 5: Manage your references

• Citation Managers: Zotero and Endnote