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Kinesiology : Database & Keyword Searching

Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT)

Boolean Operators are commands within literature databases (PubMed, SportDiscus, PsycINFO, etc) to combine, expand or exclude specific terms associated with your search terms (concepts).

Keyword Tips

Finding Positive/Negative (Pro/Con) of an Issue?

  • Try keywords such as:

    • Benefits, advantages, or positive

    • Risks, disadvantages, or negative

    • Impact, effect, or influence

What are some common keywords used?
pain swelling edema inflammation treatment
"pain relief" "pain management" analgesics stretching therapy
strengthening "trigger point therapy" "cold therapy" "heat therapy" ultrasound
massage compression "blood flow restriction" "manual therapy" traction
 What are some common keyword combinations?

  • "pain relief" OR "pain management" OR analgesics 

  • edema OR swelling OR inflammation

  • treatment OR therapy

Finding Positive/Negative (Pro/Con) of an Issue?

  • Try keywords such as:

    • Benefits, advantages, or positive

    • Risks, disadvantages, or negative

    • Impact, effect, or influence

Have a topic that is a commercial product or program?

  • Don't necessarily use the name of the product or program (e.g., Graston's technique)

  • Think about what these products or programs do, and use those keywords instead

    • Does that program, equipment or technique work with a certain injury?

    • Are they using some kind of tool (e.g., tool-assisted technique) 
       

Have a topic that is a particular injury location or sport?

  • When searching for sources, don't necessarily use search by sport.  Meaning, a sprain is a sprain and how you treat that sprain is the same regardless of sport.  So, when searching don't have your sport be a search term.  Save that for your write-ups.

  • When searching for a particular injury like an ankle sprain, don't necessarily limit to body part.  Just like above, a sprain is a sprain and how you treat that sprain is the same regardless of what type of sprain it is (e.g. ankle sprain vs wrist sprain).  So, when searching don't necessarily have your area of the body be a search term.  Save that for your write-ups.

Search within Abstract

You can search within the abstract to limit your search.  You can also use the word 'study' and limit it to the abstract to get original studies in your results.  There are other ways to identify original research, but this is one shortcut.

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