Steps for a Systematic Review using PubMed
1. Break down your search question into the main concepts
- Identify concepts from the Topic
2. Gather Keywords
- Gather keywords from each concept
- After identifying keywords, find relevant MeSH terms
3. Search each concept separately in PubMed
- Use boolean operators (And, OR, And NOT) to narrow/broaden your search results
- Use parentheses to combine concepts e.g, Knowledge* AND(Sharing* OR Management*))
- Use quotation marks to keep terms together and in order, e.g., "Knowledge management" vs Knowledge management
- Use truncation to find synonyms, e.g., Environ* = Environment, Environments, Environmental
4. Combine the concepts in an advanced search
- If you use a combination of AND and OR operators in one search, use parentheses (brackets) to group the OR words so that your search is accurate.
5. Filter results
What are the main features of good quality information?
- Relevant
- Accurate
- Up-to-date
- Meeting user needs
- Easy to use and understand
- Reliable
contact your Faculty Librarian or Research Librarian
