Finding Quality Research: A Comprehensive Guide for Medical Writing

Scholarly research is essential in medical writing. Using evidence-based information, we can back up our claims with reliable scientific evidence when creating our content.

Scholarly Articles

Finding scholarly articles can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, especially with the vast amount of information available online. However, there are strategies that health writers can employ to search and retrieve the information they need effectively. 

This article aims to provide valuable insights and strategies for health writers to search for and find high-quality research, credible sources, scholarly articles, and details on how to use a Boolean search. By following these guidelines, you can enhance your writing business by delivering accurate, well-researched, and authoritative health content.

Step-By-Step Guide:

1. Define Your Research Objectives. Clearly define your research objectives, questions, or hypotheses. Having a well-defined research focus will guide your search for credible sources.
2. Utilize Academic Databases. Use reputable academic databases and search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Embase. These platforms are more likely to provide access to peer-reviewed academic sources. Each of these databases has its unique collection of journals and research articles, providing a wide range of sources for health writers to draw from. By exploring multiple databases, you can broaden your access to credible health research and enhance the depth and breadth of your writing.
3. Library Resources. Explore your institution’s library resources. Librarians can help you navigate the library’s collections, databases, and catalogs to find relevant materials.
4. Evaluate Source Types. Consider the type of sources you need. In academic research, scholarly articles, books, theses, conference proceedings, and government reports are often reliable. Peer-reviewed journals are a good starting point.
5. Using search filters and strategies. Health writers can employ search filters and strategies to refine their search results and ensure they find high-quality research. Methodological filters or hedges can retrieve clinically relevant and scientifically sound studies. Additionally, the PRESS (Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies) guideline can be followed to enhance the quality of the database search.
6. Review the Abstract. When reviewing search results, read the abstracts of articles to determine if they are relevant to your research. This can save you time by eliminating sources that do not meet your needs.
7. Check the Author’s Credentials. Assess the author’s qualifications, credentials, and affiliations. Authors with relevant expertise and affiliations with reputable institutions are more likely to produce credible work.
8. Peer-Reviewed Journals. Prioritize sources published in peer-reviewed or scholarly journals. Articles in these publications have typically undergone rigorous review by experts in the field.
9. Examine the Publication Source. Evaluate the reputation and impact factor of the publication source. High-impact journals and reputable publishers are more likely to maintain high editorial standards.
10. Look for Citations. A well-cited source is often an indicator of its credibility and importance in the field. It demonstrates that other researchers have found the work valuable.
11. Check for Funding and Conflict of Interest. Be aware of potential sources of bias. Investigate whether the research was funded by organizations that could have a vested interest in the results. Disclosures of conflicts of interest should be transparent.
12. Cross-Reference. Explore the sources cited within the materials you find. This can lead to other relevant and credible sources on the same topic.
13. Verify Primary Sources. When possible, refer to primary sources, such as original research articles, official government reports, or raw data. These sources offer the most direct and reliable information.
14. Avoid Predatory Publishers. Beware of predatory publishers and journals that lack proper peer review and editorial processes. Check the reputation of the publisher and the journal to ensure legitimacy.
15. Consult with Experts. If you are uncertain about a source’s credibility, consult with professors, mentors, or subject matter experts. They can provide valuable insights and guidance.
16. Keep an Organized Record. Maintain a systematic record of the sources you consult, including full citations, publication dates, and relevant notes. This will help you create accurate citations and a bibliography.
17. Be Critical. Approach your sources with a critical mindset. Evaluate the methodology, data, and arguments presented in the sources and consider potential biases or limitations.
18. Seek professional medical writing support. Authors may choose to work with professional medical writers when writing up their research for publication. Collaborating with experienced medical writers can improve the quality of the research report and ensure adherence to publication guidelines.
19. Explore grey literature. Do not limit your search to peer-reviewed journals alone. Grey literature, such as conference proceedings, theses, and government reports, can provide valuable information that may not be found in traditional scholarly sources.
20. Engage with online communities and experts. Participate in online communities and forums where healthcare professionals and researchers discuss and share information. Engaging with experts in the field can help writers access valuable insights and recommendations.

By following these steps and critical thinking, medical writers can easily search for and find quality research, credible sources, and scholarly articles for their health writing business. Doing so will help ensure that their content is accurate and trustworthy.

Boolean Search Operators

Boolean searches are a powerful and efficient way to navigate through the vast ocean of information available on the internet. By utilizing Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT, search engines allow users to refine their queries and obtain more precise search results.

Whether you are a student conducting research, a professional seeking specific information, or simply looking for relevant content, understanding how to use Boolean searches effectively can greatly enhance your online search experience. The Boolean operators can combine or exclude search terms, allowing users to specify the relationships between different keywords in their search queries.

Boolean operators are not treated equally, with “AND” being prioritized over “NOT” and “NOT” being prioritized over “OR”. This means that the search engine will first retrieve results that satisfy the “AND” conditions, then exclude results that satisfy the “NOT” conditions, and finally retrieve results that satisfy the “OR” conditions. 

Boolean search operators with examples: 

Boolean operators must be in all uppercase letters for the search engine to understand them as an operator and not a regular word.

Boolean searches and the use of “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT” operators can be valuable for refining search queries and obtaining more accurate search results. While many users do not take advantage of these operators, understanding how they are processed by search engines and using embedded Boolean search hints can help improve the precision of search queries.

Now that you understand the basics of Boolean operators, it’s time to take your searching skills to the next level.

Refine Your Search

One way to refine your search is to combine AND, OR, and NOT in a single search query. For example, if you’re looking for a hotel in Paris that is NOT too expensive and either has a pool OR a gym, your search query could be: “Paris hotel NOT expensive AND (pool OR gym).” It’s like asking for a fancy hotel with all the amenities but without breaking the bank.

Advanced Techniques

Additional advanced techniques can be utilized to refine your search:

1. Quotation marks are used to search for exact phrases. For example, if you’re searching for information on “healthy eating,” using quotation marks ensures that the search engine finds results with that specific phrase rather than just individual words.

2. Parentheses can group expressions. Parentheses are not just for mathematical equations – they can also work wonders in Boolean searches. When you have multiple operators in a query, using parentheses helps you group expressions and control their interactions.

For example, if you’re searching for articles about cats and dogs, but you want to exclude anything related to “funny videos,” you can use parentheses to clarify your intent. Your query would look like this: “(cats AND dogs) NOT funny videos.” This way, the search engine knows exactly what you’re looking for and what to exclude.

Use wildcards and truncation in Boolean searches. Sometimes, you need to embrace the element of surprise in your searches. Wildcards and truncation come to the rescue when unsure about specific words or variations.

3. Wildcards are represented by an asterisk (*) and can replace unknown words or parts of words. For example, if you’re searching for a song but are unsure about the lyrics, you can search for “love * away.” The search engine will then try to fill in the wildcard with various words, giving you a wider range of results.

4. Truncation is similar to a wildcard, but it only replaces the ending of a word. By using a truncation symbol (usually an asterisk), you can search for multiple forms of a word. For example, if you’re looking for articles about cats but you’re open to different variations like “cat,” “cats,” or even “catty,” you can search for “cat*.” The search engine will then find results that include all word variations.

You are now armed with the knowledge and skills to conquer the vast realm of a high-quality search. By utilizing creative and advanced techniques, you can take your searching prowess to new heights.