This guide will help you to search the veterinary literature efficiently and effectively. Follow the steps in each section of the guide to find book, article or video resources which are focused on your area of interest.
Select your subject and refine it by selecting the words that are most descriptive of that subject. These are called key words. Always break your subject into individual concepts. Not "everything on heart surgery for cats", but "feline" and "cardiac" and "surgery". The 'and's between each key word tells the computer that all terms must appear in the retrieved materials. Next make a list of synonyms and related terms for each key word, e.g. feline - cat, heart - cardiac, and surgery - operate. Add any additional ones you can think of, including forms of words such as operate, operative, operation, etc. Every time you change the spelling or form of a word, you change your results. You must mix and match your terms selecting one from each list. Using all of the synonyms and related terms in your lists will help you to do the most thorough research you can. Now select your databases. Read the descriptions and decide which ones will be most effective for your research.
