AAPM&R-RPC: Resident’s
Research Packet
Searching the Literature
Now that you’ve defined the problem you wish to explore and have acquired a
helpful mentor, you need to find out what’s already been done in your field
of interest. A thorough literature search is a vital component in the
preparation for any research project. Reviewing the literature illuminates
gaps in your field of interest--gaps that you can fill with your research. You
may also identify new questions to answer or discard some that have already
been answered by others. You will become familiar with the methodology others
in your field of interest have used. And, of course, you can find out whether
anyone has already thought of your research idea and done the work.
(Unfortunately, this does happen occasionally.)
Literature
searching has become vastly easier in the past decade with the proliferation
of high-tech computer-driven searching. Most residents can readily access a
large number of databases containing thousands of references. By typing in a
few key words, you can usually pull up a sizable number of articles related to
your particular research question.
There
are literally hundreds of databases now available on almost any conceivable
topic. Several databases are particularly useful to the physiatry resident.
The largest, cheapest (because it is federally subsidized) and most commonly
used is Medline (http://igm.nlm.nih.gov/). It cites US and foreign medical journals from 1966 onward. Other
databases of potential interest include the following:
You can
access these databases by several methods. (The particular methods available
to you will depend on your institution.) Many medical libraries have special
terminals for running free Medline searches. Others may require you to “dial
up” Medline or other databases using a computer and modem. The one
disadvantage of “dialing up” is that you may have to pay a fee for each
minute of dial-up time. (If you’re lucky, your institution or mentor will
have an account to which searches may be charged.)
For
those who must dial up, Grateful Med (http://igm.nlm.nih.gov/)
is a program which simplifies the process of searching on Medline and greatly
reduces the dial-up time. It is widely available on both IBM PC compatibles
and Macintoshes. BRS Colleague, Dialog and
Knowledge Index are national dial-up services providing access to dozens
of databases, including Medline. They also let you search at reduced prices in
the off hours. If “dialing up” is not a concern, Physicians’
On Line is a service for physicians with many databases to access. The
service and software are free; you pay for the phone call only (call member
services–1-800-332-0009). Finally, many libraries will run literature
searches for you based on the parameters you provide; however, they usually
charge sizable fees for the service, and we recommend you run the search
yourself.
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