How can you create effective search terms for scientific literature reviews?

You can use VOSviewer, among other things, to search and retrieve records. This is not acceptable in all cases, but if the research task allows, it will greatly facilitate the work.

In my experience, many researchers if they are expert in their fields, they will know how to refer to other experts who are highly cited and references in their specific fields. Therefore, it is essential for researchers to identify and find field's experts who are frontiers in that knowledge irrespective of journals, years and number of literature. This way not only help to be familiar with new ideas, but also you find out how much you fill the research gap.

Creating search terms is very different from designing review or research questions. Vosviewer and similar tools are unable to give you search terms but they can visualise some connection of keywords and concepts.

Creating effective search terms for scientific literature reviews involves: - Having background knowledge of the research topic and domain. - Deciding precisely where one wants to focus in their study. - Reading related and recent articles within the same domain. - Avoiding complete dependence on Google search and instead seeking published research articles globally and locally. - Finally, using proper search engines to identify exact keywords.

You have to create research questions in your framework first before starting to search. Then, start searching by narrowing down your thoughts on the questions and developing inclusion and exclusion criteria. For this, you may take the help of the boolens operator. Then fix the framework for analyss such as PICO, SPIDER and many more are there. Collect it in the form of a matrix and do the RoL.

Defining the main concepts or topics of your research. Identify specific keywords. Include synonyms and different word variations; e.g use 'global warming' and 'climate change' interchangeably. Use boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) help in combining or excluding keywords to refine your search. 'AND' narrows the search by combining terms Use quotation marks for exact phrases ("insect pest"), asterisks for word variations Identify and use these for more targeted searches. e.g PubMed for life sciences Reviewing existing literature reviews or bibliographies can provide ideas for effective keywords and search terms. If you get too many irrelevant results, use more specific terms or additional Boolean operators to narrow down the search.

Most publication databases offer tools for generating Boolean searches with ease. In PubMed (the leading life sciences and biomedical database at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), the Advanced Search Builder is your go-to for intricate Boolean searches of the scientific literature. The tool provides fields like Author (first, last, or corporate), date (publication, modification, etc.), Journal name, publication type (original articles, reviews, case reports, etc.), and Title. Notably, you'll find intriguing built-in fields such as: - Conflict of interest - Pharmacological action - Transliterated title Explore these features for more precise and effective searches

One thing I've found really helpful is the use of boolean operators when embarking on literature search. It helps as much as possible to streamline your search purpose in order to avoid information overload.

This depends on the database you will be using. Most of them offer advanced search via Boolean operators. However, the operators are different among databases, hence it is important to be acquainted with the database use and its own Boolean operators. Depending on the field, in social sciences, Scopus and Web of Science are the most used and both support the use of Boolean operators.

Use Boolean operators to better streamline and and modify your search results. Using terms like AND, OR, and NOT, one can combine or exclude terms and create more specific or more inclusive searches.

Read few good articles before starting your article. few tools; VOSViewer; Biblioshiny; CiteSpace. However, there are lots of emerging authors in the literature domain follow them; Satish Kumar is one the known for SLR and Bibliometrics papers

The quotation marks works like magic. It streamlines your search results giving you articles containing the word or phrase within the quotation marks. I use this especially with google and ERIC to search for specific papers quickly

When designing a search strategy for a systematic review I like to keep things as comprehensive and simple as I can. The easier to understand the better for the reader and the researcher. I tend not to use parenthesis or quotation marks. This way I reckon your search is easier to replicate.

The use of helpers such as parentheses help us to do a more refined literature search. Using parentheses and boolean operators we can search for more specific content that we are looking for and we will be in contact with more related papers.

Also, honing your search term strategy involves a semantic awareness that goes beyond literal word matches. For example, employing synonyms, alternative phrasing, or related terms within parentheses to broaden the scope of your literature review. This linguistic flexibility enhances your ability to capture relevant studies that may employ different terminology but still contribute to the comprehensive understanding of your research topic.

When using truncation or wildcards, be careful of the word length. Some databases restrict the length of searchable words. Review the search results to ensure a more precise literature review.

Say you are interested in studying the impact of inflation on economic growth. Here's an example that uses all the mentioned techniques: ("inflation" OR "price level" OR "monetary policy") AND ("economic growth" OR "GDP growth" OR "economic development") AND ("macroeconomics" OR "fiscal policy") The more niche a topic, the more such blocks you would need.

I recently found the use of truncations and wildcards really helpful and a lot of researchers do not utilise this method. It helps to provide more holistic search results.

From my perspective, incorporating truncation and wildcards is akin to casting a wider net in the vast sea of information. It not only increases the likelihood of capturing diverse perspectives and nuances but also accommodates variations in language usage. This approach aligns with the dynamic nature of research, where terminologies can vary, and the flexibility afforded by truncation and wildcards ensures a more thorough and adaptable exploration.

For literature reviews, the most important item is to pitch your research idea and the plausible relationships between the variables. I partially disagree with the above statement for collecting articles of past 10 years. Being an all-rounder researcher, take the one which benefits your research and leave the rest is the rule of thumb that I apply to my studies! ??

A very useful tool I have utilized during my post-graduate studies and would definitely recommend to anyone preparing a literature review is “Zotero” software. It facilitates the organization, import and export of references which would definitely make any researcher’s life a lot easier!

For me, the advanced search is pivotal in extracting valuable documents for your scientific literature reviews. You can make use of reputable search databases such as Scopus, Web of Science and Pubmed.

For clinical or health-related scientific literature reviews, consider the PubMed (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) Clinical Queries tool. This valuable resource automatically builds in the filters to deliver articles most relevant to the clinical, patient or disease-specific interest

To find the best articles for a science project, start by breaking down your main question into smaller parts. Think of different words that mean the same thing for each part. This helps you find more articles that are related. Use words like "AND", "OR", and "NOT" to mix and match these words in your search, making it more precise. After you try a search, check your results. If you get too many unrelated articles, use more specific words. If you find too few, use broader words. It's like fine-tuning a radio to get the best signal. You can also search using names of experts in the field or specific science terms related to your topic. This way, you get more accurate and helpful articles for your project.

The primary task of a researcher is to have a clear knowledge of the topic and a roadmap for reaching a winning denouement. Once that is done, keywords and other ideas related to one's research can be created by: 1. Brainstorming 2. Discussion with peers, advisors, and experts 3. Conducting literature reviews: Reading books, journals and individual articles. 4. Using search engines, especially those dedicated to research, like Taylor and Francis. 5. Using LLM-based models for receiving answers to queries. 6. Asking questions on the web-based discussion forums, on sites like LinkedIn and ResearchGate.

While creating effective search terms is great it is also important to explore a research article's references. They unveil a rich tapestry of knowledge in scientific literature reviews. Each citation connects to a broader landscape of related studies, revealing foundational works and contemporary perspectives. This process forms a cohesive narrative, enhancing the credibility and depth of the literature review. By tracing references, we can seamlessly integrate historical context, theoretical frameworks, and methodological evolution, which may not be evident with search engines.

When conducting a literature review, maximize the effectiveness of your search by utilizing database-specific tools. Leverage thesauri or subject headings for standardized vocabulary, explore index terms and keywords for precise searches, and take advantage of suggested terms and autocomplete features. Some databases provide related concepts to broaden your search. Use filters and facets to refine results and Boolean search builders for complex queries. Set up alerts for ongoing updates, employ citation tracking to identify influential works, and consider full-text searches for comprehensive exploration. These tools enhance search precision and ensure a thorough review of relevant scholarly material.

Effective searching is an art which excels with your experience. It’s my personal experience that many of my seniors and professors have told how to do literature survey but you will understand it better with your own experience.

Crafting effective search terms for scientific literature reviews involves a strategic approach. First, comprehend your topic thoroughly. Utilize Boolean operators to logically combine terms. Employ quotation marks and parentheses for phrase precision. Incorporate truncation and wildcards to capture term variations. Leverage filters and advanced search options for precision. Consider synonyms and related terms to broaden the search. Regularly refine your strategy based on initial results for a comprehensive and focused literature review.