Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Thrid Edition: Model and Guidelines

(^88) Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice: Model and Guidelines, Third Edition
Review the following steps to build a thorough search strategy:

1. Use controlled vocabularies when possible. Controlled vocabularies are
   specific terms used to identify concepts within an index or database. They
   are important tools because they ensure consistency and reduce ambiguity
   where the same concept may have different names. Additionally, they often
   improve the accuracy of keyword searching by reducing irrelevant items in
   the retrieval list. Some well-known vocabularies are MeSH in MEDLINE
   (PubMed) and CINAHL Subject Headings in CINAHL.


2. Use the Boolean operators. Boolean operators are AND, OR, and NOT.
   Use OR to combine keywords and phrases with controlled vocabulary. Use
   AND to combine each of the concepts within your search. Use NOT to
   exclude keywords and phrases; use this operator with discretion to avoid
   excluding terms that are relevant to the topic. (See Figure 5.1.)

Boolean Operator Example Venn Diagram

“Attention” [MeSH] AND “Medication Errors”

[MeSH]

Articles that have both terms, attention and

medication errors

“Attention” [MeSH] OR distraction

Articles that have the terms attention only or

distraction only or both terms

distraction NOT “Osteogenesis, Distraction”

[Mesh]

Articles with the term distraction, excluding

osteogensis or articles with distractions and

osteogensis

Figure 5.1 Using Boolean operators.

Attention Medication Errors

Attention Distraction

Distraction Osteogenesis,distraction

Attention Medication Errors

Attention Distraction

Distraction Osteogenesis,distraction

Attention Medication Errors

Attention Distraction

Distraction Osteogenesis,distraction