How To Search The OTseeker Database Return To Search Page

Overview

The OTseeker database can be searched from the Search page, which is accessed by clicking on the Search button on the Home Page. To find particular articles, you have the option of typing in keywords and/or using pull-down menus. OTseeker will then search through all articles in the database and return a list of search results.

The search results are displayed in a list by title. Reviews are displayed first, followed by clinical trials. Systematic reviews are ordered by relevance - that is, how closely they match the search criteria specified. Clinical trials are ordered by their internal validity score (highest to lowest).

Help topics:

Selecting Records

To view information (detailed search results) for more than one article, select all the articles that you wish to obtain by clicking in the box () to the left of each article. Once you have made your selection, click on the button 'View Selected Articles'. A list of the articles that you selected will be shown. To view more information about these articles, click on the button 'View Detailed Search Results'.

If you have selected articles that you didn't mean to, you can 'de-select' (remove) the articles from the list by clicking in the box () to the left of each article.

To view more information (detailed search results) for only one article at a time, click on the title of the article.

Detailed Search Results

The Detailed Search Results page opens in a new window, where you can view information about the articles such as author, title, journal title, method, details of the scores for items on the OTseeker scale (unless it is a systematic review), and (if the publisher has granted permission) the abstract.

To get back to the Search Result page from the Detailed Search Results page, you will need to close the window or click on the 'Return to Search Page' link in the top right-hand corner of the page. This will close the window and return you to the search page.

Starting A New Search

A new search can be started by clicking on the 'New Search' link on the top right-hand corner of the search page. This will clear all search fields, allowing you to begin a new search.

Refining A Search

To modify or refine your search, click on the 'Refine Search' link on the Search page and it will take you to the search fields where you can make changes to your search criteria. Alternatively, you can scroll down the page to the search fields (which moves to the bottom of the search page when search results are displayed).

How To Find An Article Or Group Of Articles

  1. Go to the search page.
  2. Specify what you are searching for, either by typing text into the text boxes and/or selecting from the pull-down menus of one of the search fields.
  3. You do not need to enter search terms into each box. You can use one or more of the search boxes to conduct a search.
  4. Generally the most efficient method of searching is by typing one or more words into the Keywords text box. OTseeker will search all articles in the database and retrieve articles that contain, in their abstract or title, the keywords you specified. Please read the section below about searching using keywords.
  5. However, if you are looking for a particular article (for example, where you know the author or title) you can narrow the search results that will be returned by using only the relevant search box, such as the Author text box.

Searching Using Keywords

For the Keywords text box, OTseeker can search for the following:

Simple search - enter the words(s) to search for. If more than one word is entered, by default OTseeker will search for articles that contain all of the words specified. In other words, OTseeker combines the words using AND. For example, if you enter occupational therapy, OTseeker will return articles that contain the words occupational and therapy (but not necessarily next to each other).

To search for a particular phrase, enclose the phrase in double quotation marks ("). For example, if you entered pain management (without using double quotation marks), by default OTseeker will search for articles containing the words pain and management (but the words don't need to be next to each other, so you may retrieve articles that aren't specifically about pain management). By typing "pain management" you will retrieve articles that contain that exact phrase.

Prefix search - enter the word to search for followed by an asterisk (*). For example, entering splint* will search for all articles that have words starting with splint (such as splint, splinter, splints, splinting).

Proximity search - enter the word or phrase, followed by NEAR and then the second word or phrase. For example, if you entered pain NEAR management, OTseeker will search for articles where the words or phrases are close to each other. Multiple proximity search terms can be chaned. For example, electrical NEAR nerve NEAR stimulation.


Using operators to combine search fields

The above search types (simple, prefix and proximity) can be combined and multiple entries of each type can be entered. This can be achieved by using logical operators: AND, NOT, OR. Parentheses, or round brackets "( )", can be used to group search criteria. The parenthesized groups are evalutaed first, then the following rules apply:

Note that by default, OTseeker combines search criteria using AND, meaining that all keywords entered must match for an article to be found. By ticking the option Match results using ANY of the fields specified above, the search will combine the criteria using OR instead. For example, entering pain management with the option turned off, the search will effectively be pain AND management. However, if the option was turned on, the search would be pain OR management instead.


Keyword search examples:

Keywords Searches for...
therapy The word therapy.
pain management The words pain and management.
"nerve stimulation" The phrase nerve stimulation.
splint* Any word that starts with splint.
"wrist splint*" Any phrase that starts with wrist splint.
arm NEAR leg The words arm and leg close to one another.
therapy OR pain The word therapy or the word pain.
splint* NOT wrist Any word that starts with splint and not the word wrist.
pain AND (arm OR leg) The word pain and either the word arm or the word leg.

How to find articles using a broader keyword search

If you're having trouble finding the articles you're after, try using the option Use less precise keyword matching (fuzzy logic). This will make the search for keywords less precise and may give you more matches. Important words and phrases are identified and logical operators (AND, NOT, OR), double quotation marks ("), wildcards (*) and parentheses "( )" are ignored. Any text, including words, phrases or sentences, can be entered. There is no concern about structure or the ordering of the words.

For example, searching for pain management and health care would find articles containing words related to pain, management, health and care, such as painful, manage, healthy and caring.

Searching Using Text Boxes ("Author / Association", "Title" and "Journal Title")

OTseeker will search for the exact phrase you type in these text boxes. Do not enter double quotation marks ("). An asterisk (*) is not a wildcard - it will be included in the search if it is entered.

How Do Searches Using The 'Intervention' and/or 'Diagnosis / Subdiscipline' Pull-Down Menus Work?

Each article that is in the OTseeker database is coded according to 1) the Intervention the article addresses and 2) the diagnostic group the participants in the article belong to or which 'subdiscipline' of occupational therapy the article most closely related.

Articles are coded by OTseeker staff at the same time the articles are rated using the OTseeker scale.

For some articles it is very difficult to 'neatly' assign the article into one category. Additionally people will have different ideas about what categories mean or how articles could/should be assigned. For this reason, we have provided more information about each of the intervention categories / headings. You can access this information by clicking on the 'More Information' link to the right of the Intervention search box. Descriptions of categories are guides for searching only and are not meant to be definitive.

Because some articles address more than one intervention they are coded in a number of intervention categories. For example, an article about the effects of respiratory rehabilitation would be coded under all of the component interventions that are conducted in that article. For example, this could include 'consumer education', 'exercise / strength training', and 'relaxation / stress management'.

Articles may also be coded as belonging to more than one diagnostic category. For example, an article about clients with stroke is coded under both the 'neurology and neuromuscular disorders' and 'brain injury' categories.

If you can't find the intervention category or diagnostic / subdiscipline group that you are wanting in the dropdown menus, the most efficient way to search is to type in keywords relating to the diagnosis/intervention you are interested in. For example, if you wanted to search for articles about pain management, it is more efficient to type in the phrase "pain management" than to select the individual interventions that comprise a pain management program (e.g. relaxation, education and so on).

Printing And/Or Emailing Search Results

From either the Search Results page or the Detailed Search Results page you can email or print your search results.

Number Of Articles Displayed

On the Search page you have the option to select the number of records that you want displayed on the search results page (10, 20, 30, 50 or 100 results). By default the search will display 20 articles on each search page if you do not choose another option from the drop-down box.

What Happens If The Abstract Is Missing?

An abstract is not displayed for all articles because we need to have permission from the publisher of the journal before we display the abstract (read more about this on the Questions page). However, if a search term is typed in the Keywords text box, OTseeker will still search all abstracts even if the abstract is not displayed. The exception to this is if there is no abstract for the article in the OTseeker database. This is the case for a small number of articles where due to the style of the journal, the abstract is not included in the record for the article.