Completion requirements
View
4. How do I search for the evidence?
4.2. Search terms
5.2 Search terms
Once you have written your question (see the Ask section), use the PICO or SPICO terms to help you build your search strategy.
Example Scenario
Here is an example using (S)PICO i.e. including species:
In [cats with naturally occurring chronic kidney disease] does [a renal prescription diet compared to normal diet] increase the [survival time] of affected cats?
Step 1:
Make a list of the key concepts needed to build your search.
In this example, the key concepts for the search strategy would be ‘cats’, ‘kidney disease’ and ‘diets’.
Note: The (S)PICO and the Search Strategy are not the same thing!
It is likely you will not search on all your (S)PICO terms. For example, 'Outcome' terms are often excluded from a search because they can be broad terms with many alternatives, meaning key articles may be missed if they are used. Also, outcomes may not be mentioned in the abstract, particularly if the outcome is recovery.
Step 2:
Think of synonyms and alternative terms for each concept. Click the cards below to show examples of these.
Plural terms
Mouse
Rotate
Mice
Rotate
Moose
Rotate
Moose
Rotate
Diseases
Brucellosis
Rotate
Bang’s Disease
Rotate
Hypoadrenocorticism
Rotate
Addison’s Disease
Rotate
Hyperadrenocorticism
Rotate
Cushing’s Disease
Rotate
Paratuberculosis
Rotate
Johne’s Disease
Rotate
Young animals
Dogs
Rotate
Puppies
Rotate
Horses
Rotate
Foals
Rotate
Cats
Rotate
Kittens
Rotate
English and Latin terms
Itch
Rotate
Pruritis
Rotate
Rash
Rotate
Exanthem
Rotate
Alternative spellings for your terms
Colour
Rotate
Color
Rotate
Centre
Rotate
Center
Rotate
Practise
Rotate
Practice
Rotate
Faeces
Rotate
Feces
Rotate
Oesophagus
Rotate
Esophagus
Rotate
Paralyse
Rotate
Paralyze
Rotate
Ageing
Rotate
Aging
Rotate
Grey
Rotate
Gray
Rotate
Moult
Rotate
Molt
Rotate
Abbreviations and acronyms
NSAID
Rotate
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
Rotate
ACL
Rotate
Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Rotate
BCC
Rotate
Bull Cow Calf
Rotate
COPD
Rotate
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Rotate
Step 3:
Be as specific as possible, and where you are interested in a broad topic, e.g. kidney disease, list the more specific topics, e.g. types of kidney disease, that you want to cover.
Table 7: Examples of specific topics related to kidney disease
| Cats | Kidney disease | Diets |
|---|---|---|
|
Feline |
Chronic renal failure |
Kidney diet |
|
Felines |
Chronic renal disease |
Renal diet |
|
Felis |
Chronic renal insufficiency |
|
|
Chronic kidney failure |
||
|
Chronic kidney disease |
Prescription diet |
|
|
Chronic kidney insufficiency |
Therapeutic diet |
Figure 3: Breaking down a topic to maximise search effectiveness
This diagram shows how you might break down a topic (diets in cats with chronic kidney disease) into key concepts (diets, cats, kidney disease) and then use synonyms or related terms for each concept in your search strategy.
For example, under 'diets' you could search for renal diet, kidney diet, prescription diet and therapeutic diet. Under 'kidney disease' you could search for chronic renal failure, chronic renal disease, chronic renal insufficiency, chronic kidney failure, chronic kidney disease and chronic kidney insufficiency. Under 'cats' you could search for cat, feline, felines and felis.
This will maximise retrieval of relevant publications, as authors may use different terms to describe the same concepts.