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Psycinfo search language_2017

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keithstanger

Our initial search did not return all relevant results because database search engines only search for the exact words used and do not account for synonyms. For a topic that could be described in various ways, using only one phrase will miss items that use different terms. However, academic databases assign subject terms from controlled vocabularies to describe each item, and searching using these alternative terms can improve search results.

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Our initial search did not display on the screen all the database items that discussed our topic because:
Search Language 1. There are usually many words and phrases that could be used to describe our topic, and 2. The database search engine is ¡®dumb¡¯ and only searches for the words we typed. The search engine does NOT search for other words that mean the same thing as the words we used, i.e., that are synonymous with the words we used.
Search Language For example, if we were interested in children raised in single parent families, there are many ways that authors could describe that concept: single parent family one parent family motherless family fatherless family mother absent family father absent family mother absence father absence
Search Language If we had typed the phrase ¡°single parent family¡± the search engine result screen would NOT display items whose authors had used different terms to describe the subject
Search Language Do we, as searchers, need to be ¡®word wizards¡¯ to pull from our heads all the different ways our topic might be described? NO!
Search Language The way that many academic databases are put together can provide the help that all searchers can use to construct effective searches
Search Language Many organizations that produce academic databases pay people to: 1. examine every item indexed, and 2. assign subject terms that describe what each item deals with The subject terms come from a thesaurus created by each database-producing organization
Search Language ? Database producers display the subject terms from the thesaurus in each database record ? On the screen, these terms are often labeled subjects or descriptors
Subject Language ? You, the searcher, can use the displayed subject terms/descriptors to improve your database search results. HOW? 1. Look for subject terms/descriptors in each database record that are synonymous with the terms you used when you originally entered the search. 2. Then, redo the search using the database subject/descriptor terms that you found.

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Psycinfo search language_2017

  • 1. Our initial search did not display on the screen all the database items that discussed our topic because:
  • 2. Search Language 1. There are usually many words and phrases that could be used to describe our topic, and 2. The database search engine is ¡®dumb¡¯ and only searches for the words we typed. The search engine does NOT search for other words that mean the same thing as the words we used, i.e., that are synonymous with the words we used.
  • 3. Search Language For example, if we were interested in children raised in single parent families, there are many ways that authors could describe that concept: single parent family one parent family motherless family fatherless family mother absent family father absent family mother absence father absence
  • 4. Search Language If we had typed the phrase ¡°single parent family¡± the search engine result screen would NOT display items whose authors had used different terms to describe the subject
  • 5. Search Language Do we, as searchers, need to be ¡®word wizards¡¯ to pull from our heads all the different ways our topic might be described? NO!
  • 6. Search Language The way that many academic databases are put together can provide the help that all searchers can use to construct effective searches
  • 7. Search Language Many organizations that produce academic databases pay people to: 1. examine every item indexed, and 2. assign subject terms that describe what each item deals with The subject terms come from a thesaurus created by each database-producing organization
  • 8. Search Language ? Database producers display the subject terms from the thesaurus in each database record ? On the screen, these terms are often labeled subjects or descriptors
  • 9. Subject Language ? You, the searcher, can use the displayed subject terms/descriptors to improve your database search results. HOW? 1. Look for subject terms/descriptors in each database record that are synonymous with the terms you used when you originally entered the search. 2. Then, redo the search using the database subject/descriptor terms that you found.