نصائح بحثية يومية

Do not rely on one database. Where access allows, add at least one more source such as Embase or Scopus, because no single index covers everything.

When you find a key paper, mine it in three directions: its reference list backward, the papers that cite it forward, and other work from the same group.

Screen titles and abstracts in two passes: a fast inclusive pass, then a strict pass against written criteria. Fixing the criteria before screening keeps you honest.

Use a reference manager from the first paper you save. Rebuilding a citation library at the write-up stage wastes days and invites errors.

Read the most recent systematic review on your topic first. It maps prior work faster than any search you could run, and its reference list is a curated bibliography.

Save every search string you run, with the date and the number of results. Your search is part of your methods, and you will not remember it at write-up time.

Search PubMed with MeSH terms plus free-text keywords, not keywords alone. Controlled vocabulary catches papers whose authors used different words for the same concept.