1. EBD 2:
Paula Funnell
p.a.funnell@qmul.ac.uk
Senior Academic Liaison Librarian (Medicine and Dentistry)
Search engines and
databases

2. Recap
• Introduction to the library
• Library search tools
• Accessing e-resources
Try the quiz to see how much you can
remember
Global Epidemiology & Evidence-Based
Dentistry: BDS Year 1
Using the library
Quiz – using the library

3. Learning outcomes
• Discover where to find good quality
information on the web
• Learn how to use filters to get more
precise results
• Understand how to use Boolean logic
to combine search terms
• Be able to carry out a simple search
on key databases

4. Search engines activity
• For the resource you have been assigned
do a search for oral health and smoking.
• Write a post commenting on the following:
– How easy is it to use?
– How many results do you get?
– What type of documents do you find?
– Do the results look relevant?
– Do you think the information is of good
quality?
– What do you think might be possible
problems with this resource

5. Search engines
• Search engine = supermarket
• Photo by vauvau (http://flic.kr/p/75yAAb)
• Searches across many DIFFERENT
things

6. Healthcare specific search
engines
• Search specifically across healthcare
related resources
• Search across good quality internet
resources
• Much more manageable number of
results

7. Medline Plus
• US National Institutes of Health's web
site for patients and their families and
friends
• Designed to provide up-to-date
healthcare information in
understandable language
• Also provides links to the latest
medical research
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus

10. Evidence Search
• Easy to use
• Searches across high-quality
healthcare specific resources
• Provided and managed by NICE
• Wide range of filters allow you to narrow
down your search e.g. by type of
information or date of publication
www.evidence.nhs.uk

13. TRIP
• One simple search box
• Results are colour coded giving an at
a glance indication of quality of
information
• Results vary widely - including
primary research, reviews, textbooks
and news
www.tripdatabase.com

16. Filters
• Search engines allow you to filter
your results e.g.
– By date
– By type of information
• Healthcare specific search engines
have more useful filters
• Evidence Search has an especially
good range of filters
• Broad range of filters available in
most databases

17. Chocolate Exercise
You have done a search for “chocolate”
Now filter your results to
1. Type: milk
2. Format: bar
3. Ingredients: nuts
4. Manufacturer: Cadburys
Fruit & Nut

18. Databases
• Databases – florist
• Photo by stevewhis (http://flic.kr/p/a4h4RJ)
• Collection of SAME thing

19. Databases
• Vast collections of references of
published research
• Filters can be applied to narrow results
down
• Searches can be combined and saved
for future use
• References can be imported to
EndNote

20. MEDLINE (PubMed)
• PubMed is a search interface for the
MEDLINE database
• Database of references and abstracts
of journal articles
• Covers the broad field of biomedicine
• Special QM PubMed address for
easier full-text access
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?otool=igbqmullib

24. Web of Science
• Part of ISI Web of Knowledge
• Contains:
– Science Citation Index
– Social Sciences Citation Index
– Arts and Humanities Citation Index
• Need to log in off campus
www.webofknowledge.com

25. Web of Science: advanced
features

27. Scopus
• World’s largest abstract and citation
database
• Search across a range of subject
areas
• Includes Medline coverage
• Need to log in off campus
www.scopus.com

30. Boolean logic
• An OR search – combine two
synonyms to give a larger number of
results
• Child health OR paediatrics will
search for any articles containing
one or both of the terms

31. Boolean logic
• An AND search – combine two
elements of your search question to
give a smaller number of results
• Dental caries AND children will
search for any articles containing
both of the terms

32. Databases activity
Try searching the databases using the
activity on QM Plus
Global Epidemiology & Evidence-
Based Dentistry: BDS Year 1
Introduction to databases and search
engines
Databases activity

33. The Cochrane Library
• High quality systematic reviews
• Already been critically appraised
• Full text available
• Also contains abstracts of other
systematic reviews and clinical trials
www.thecochranelibrary.com

37. Summary
• Use specialist search engines to
search across a wide range of good
quality web resources
• Use databases to find academic
research articles, both primary
research as well as review articles

38. Preparation for session 3
• Watch the presentation on referencing
and plagiarism
Global Epidemiology & Evidence-Based
Dentistry: BDS Year 1
Academic writing
Referencing and plagiarism presentation
• Have a look at the referencing handout
and referencing and plagiarism
webpages