You can begin to build your search strategy by translating the significant concepts from your research question into a concept grid.
What are teenagers' attitudes to quitting smoking?
Concept 1: Teenagers | Concept 2: Smoking cessation |
Alternative (similar) keywords
Authors often use different terms to describe the same concept. When searching it is important to consider alternative terms (synonyms) and spelling variations which may be used. Similar terms can be added to the grid beneath the relevant concept:
Concept 1: Teenagers | Concept 2: Smoking cessation |
Adolescent Young people Youth |
Smoking cessation Stop smoking Quit smoking |
Combining search terms with AND and OR
You can structure your search using AND and OR to combine your keywords:
Database search tips
Once you have developed your search strategy, you can then use the methods below to find qualitative literature on your topic. Combine your topic search with:
You can combine your topic search terms with keywords relating to qualitative studies. Some terms to consider are: Perceptions; Attitudes; Viewpoints; Opinions; Beliefs; Understanding; Feelings; Experiences.
Teen* OR adolescen* OR youth AND "smoking cessation" OR "stop smoking" OR "quit smoking" AND attitude* OR opinion* OR feeling* OR belief* OR experience* OR qualitative |
Also think about qualitative methodologies (e.g. ethnography) or methods for data collection (e.g. focus group).
If you are not finding what you need using qualitative keywords, then you may want to consider searching with subjects headings as well. Subject headings are standardised terms, taken from a thesaurus, which are used to describe the topic/s and research methodologies covered in each article.
As they aim to reflect the content of the full article, searching with qualitative subject headings can be more precise than a keyword search in identifying qualitative research articles. Subject headings are also useful to overcome differences in terminology as similar terms are grouped under one heading (e.g. Health services research is applied to articles which include the terms action research, health care research, medical care research, or health services evaluation).
See Searching health specific databases for information on searching with qualitative subject headings in selected health databases.