ACP Journal Club

Searching tips:

Like the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ACP Journal Club does not use uniform subject headings. Similar strategies are needed for effective searching: synonyms, truncation, and using the Boolean “OR” for combining similar terms. Every word of the text is searchable, although the documents are not as long as those in the Cochrane database.

You can limit your search to “EBM Trends” or to four clinical areas:

	Therapeutics
	Diagnosis
	Prognosis
	Etiology

Limiting by publication year is also available.

ACP Journal Club Sample Search:

• Our searching is the same as we used for Cochrane. First, enter the word neuralgia in the main search box. The system will try to find your term in multiple places [mp]

• Now enter the term herpe$ in the search box, using the truncation symbol to pick up variations in spelling and word endings,

• Combine your key terms in the first two search statements as shown below. Before you click “Perform Search,” select the limit to Therapeutics by putting a check in that box

• Click on the blue box labeled “Display” next to search statement four, which contains the links to our search results, five references with to articles on our topic. Remember, ACP Journal Club will provide enhanced abstracts and expert commentary to supplement these article references.

This is the results page with a summary display of the references retrieved in our search. If you want to view or capture the full document, click on “Article Review.” The first article on our list is directly relevant to our clinical question.

This ACP Journal Club review provides commentary on a February 2002 article by Alper and Lewis published in the Journal of Family Practice. In addition to viewing the content online, you have options for to print, email or save the text.

Searching the Medical Literature for the Best Evidence

© 2003 Health Sciences Library, UNC Chapel Hill