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Example Research Topic
Once you have selected a topic and before you start searching for resources, it is helpful to perform these steps:
Topic: Should all males receive the HPV vaccine?
Step 1: Break the topic into main concepts:
males
HPV
vaccine
Step 2: Brainstorm keywords for each concept:
Try thinking of synonyms and related terms. A thesaurus may be helpful.
males
|
HPV
|
vaccine
|
male
males
boy
boys
men
|
HPV
human papillomavirus
papillomaviruses
genital warts
warts
sexually transmitted diseases
|
vaccine
vaccines
vaccinate
vaccination
immunization
injection
injections
inoculation
|
Above terms in bold are CINAHL Headings.
Step 3: Combine your terms in a search. This is called your search strategy.
Note: try using a combination of keywords and subject headings in your search. You may need to try different combinations to find the search that produces the best results.
male OR men
AND
papillomaviruses
AND
vaccin* OR immuniz*
Step 4: Search an appropriate resource
Step 5: Review results for alternative keywords or subject headings and redo search (as needed)
