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SOIL SCI 875: Systematic Reviews in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (Spring 2024) : Search the Literature

Finding Known Articles

From the Libraries' site, the Articles Search enables you to search many of our larger databases simultaneously. This search can also be used to run a quick search for a known article. Enter the title of the article into the search box and set to "Title" or "Anywhere". Follow links to view or to request a copy.

You can also use the Citation Search form. 

If looking to determine whether the Libraries subscribe to a specific journal, magazine or newspaper, search for that source using the Journals search.

When using any of these options, follow links or “Find it@UW” icons to access the full article. If an article is unavailable (full-text online), request a copy. We will provide a scan from print holdings or obtain a digitized copy for you from a partnering library institution.

Searching for a Database by Discipline or Subject

  1. Start at the UW-Madison Libraries homepage,  select the “Catalog” above the large search box. This will open a drop-down menu.
  2. Select “Databases” from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select the “Browse by Subject/Type” link under the search box.
  4. Select a subject that fits, or would include, your research topic. 
  5. Select a database by name to see the time span as well as subjects and types of materials covered in that database.
  6. To use the database, select the “Go to this Database” button beneath the database name, (or once you have selected the database by name and arrived at the database information page).

Selected Databases

Searching Strategies, Search Syntax

While constructing a precise and productive search for the literature will take time and testing (or scoping), here are some useful tips on the mechanics for constructing search expressions that can be interpreted by database search engines. Search terms (keywords), operators, wildcards, and more!

  • Be sure to visit the database "Help" files to learn about the special features, operators and wildcard characters that a database may uniquely use. 

See also sections 3 and 4 from the CEE Guidelines for Authors Links to an external site.(Guidelines and Standards for Environmental Synthesis in Environmental Management, Version 5.1, 2022)
Section 3: Planning the conduct of an Evidence Synthesis
Section 4: Conducting a Search

A few fundamentals and tips:

Make a list of your search terms (keywords) and the alternative, like or similar concepts. You may find it helpful to consult a thesaurus (for example, see NAL's Thesaurus and Glossary)

  • As you run a search, review "subject headings" or "descriptors" to identify essential vocabulary.

Use AND to combine search terms; retrieve records with those terms, in any order: friends AND communication

Use OR to combine similar search terms or synonyms: friends OR peers

Use quotation marks ( " ") to search a required phrase: "interpersonal communication"

  • Note: In many instances, the adjacency of your search terms may be sufficient to retrieve a phrase. Unless specific phrasing is necessary for meaning (or to assist if retrieving too many erroneous results), enclosing your search phrases within quotation marks may be too limiting.

Use an asterisk ( * ) to retrieve singular and plural forms or suffixes for search terms: friend* = friend, friends, friendly or friendship

  • Consult the Help files provided within the database to determine the correct symbol used for this function.

Apply field limits or filters to your results, if necessary (by date, document type, or other). 

Using the examples, above, and putting it all together as a simple search expression, you would have:
(friend* OR peer*) AND "interpersonal communication"

What about Google Scholar?

Best practice in evidence synthesis advises that Google Scholar be used as a supplemental search for literature.

While understandably appealing for its capacity to search the full text of publications it can access, Google Scholar's algorithms governing its retrieval and ranking of results are not provided and significantly limit the ability of researchers to replicate search strategies. 

Exporting Records

Once you have generated a search strategy and have translated it, as necessary, for each database you will be searching, you will:

  • Run the search in each database.
  • Export the results (citations and abstracts only) using the exporting choices of the database and/or as mediated by your citation manager (BibTeX, RIS, or XML...) and save files.
    • Note that you may need to export results in smaller sets given restrictions of the database.
  • Import files into your citation manager using its feature to do so.

Search History

Look for a link or tab from within the database. Your search history shows each step you have taken to get to a set of records. Copy and paste your history into a document for your notes. Having your search history and search expression/syntax will be helpful when writing your methodology and for when you want to run a search again or to run the search in another database.

The databases to which the libraries subscribe permit you to create your own login to customize your experience. With login and profile, you will be able to save searches, choose to re-run them, or to automate them so that you receive an email alert as new records are added to the database that match your search.