There's a line in Bob Dylan's autobiography, Chronicles, Volume 1, that I love. Talking about his collaboration with record producer Daniel Lanois, Dylan writes, "He wanted to dive in and go deep. He wanted to marry a mermaid."
That same metaphor might be used to describe search technique. Some of us have a deep-sea diver approach, some are more comfortable gliding along the surface, and others jump in and try to swim with the current.
Given the amount of information on the Internet, it is easy to get overwhelmed or, by not going deep enough, to miss something important. So while there is a certain amount of serendipity in all research, it's a good idea to start with some preparation.
In Planning a Search Strategy, Angela Nicholson, a librarian at the Edinburgh University Library, suggests that using a systematic approach is most efficient and most likely to produce the best results. A few highlights adapted for medical search follow. Please note, I used breast cancer as an example but the suggestions can be used to find information about any disease or condition.
Step 1: Make sure you fully understand your question/topic. If you are unsure of the meaning of any words or terms, look them up in an online medical dictionary (https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical) before you begin. Knowing exactly what you are looking for will help you fine-tune your search and evaluate results.
Step 2: Identify key words and phrases. For example, instead of searching for a general term like "breast cancer treatment," try variations of "new guidelines for the treatment of breast cancer 2010." This will increase your chances of getting the most relevant and current information.
Steps 3: Think of broader terms, narrower terms, related terms. A while back I was looking for information about “balloon radiology for breast cancer." I found references to “brachytherapy” and “internal radiation” on the American Cancer Society site (www.cancer.org) and then used those terms to refine my search statement:
That same metaphor might be used to describe search technique. Some of us have a deep-sea diver approach, some are more comfortable gliding along the surface, and others jump in and try to swim with the current.
Given the amount of information on the Internet, it is easy to get overwhelmed or, by not going deep enough, to miss something important. So while there is a certain amount of serendipity in all research, it's a good idea to start with some preparation.
In Planning a Search Strategy, Angela Nicholson, a librarian at the Edinburgh University Library, suggests that using a systematic approach is most efficient and most likely to produce the best results. A few highlights adapted for medical search follow. Please note, I used breast cancer as an example but the suggestions can be used to find information about any disease or condition.
Step 1: Make sure you fully understand your question/topic. If you are unsure of the meaning of any words or terms, look them up in an online medical dictionary (https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical) before you begin. Knowing exactly what you are looking for will help you fine-tune your search and evaluate results.
Step 2: Identify key words and phrases. For example, instead of searching for a general term like "breast cancer treatment," try variations of "new guidelines for the treatment of breast cancer 2010." This will increase your chances of getting the most relevant and current information.
Steps 3: Think of broader terms, narrower terms, related terms. A while back I was looking for information about “balloon radiology for breast cancer." I found references to “brachytherapy” and “internal radiation” on the American Cancer Society site (www.cancer.org) and then used those terms to refine my search statement:
- “Clinical evidence for internal radiation in treating breast cancer”
- “Safety and efficacy of brachytherapy in treating breast cancer”
- “Comparative safety and efficacy for internal radiation and full breast radiation”
Next time...how to evaluate search results...or how to know when you've met the right mermaid or merman.
Reference
Planning a Search Strategy by Angela Nicholson. Accessed 4/10/10 at http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/resbysub/PDF/search_skills_A4_booklet.pdf
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