The next step is to combine your search terms in such a way that you only retrieve the more relevant references for your search question. In order to do this you need to build a search strategy. This involves using Boolean operators such as AND, OR and NOT.
AND narrows the results of the search by ensuring that all the search terms are present in the results.
OR broadens the results of the search by ensuring that any of the search terms are present in the results.
NOT limits the results by rejecting a particular search term. Be careful with NOT because it will exclude any results containing that search term regardless of whether other parts of the article might have been of interest.
OR will broaden your number of results while AND will produce fewer results.
Concept 1
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Concept 2
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STAFF ATTITUDES
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ALCOHOL
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OR
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AND
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OR
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PERCEPTIONS
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DRINKING
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Search using Boolean logic
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Try using this Search-plan-worksheet to break your topic down into concepts. These can then be linked together when you run the search. You can also add synonyms within each concept box. The yellow limits box is a prompt to think about any limits you want to apply when searching. This leads us to Step 6.
Tip: Most databases will allow you to use a truncation sign (*) or wildcard (?) to pick up various different endings to words or alternative spellings.
For example: alcohol* would pick up alcohol, alcoholic, alcoholism, etc
Sm?th would find Smith and Smyth