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Radiology: Reviewing Basic Search Strategies

Introduction to Radiologic Sciences and Health Care

Use Keywords

The words you type into the search box affect your search results. Not all authors use the same language to describe similar topics, so you will need to try a variety of searches.

  • Create a list of possible words that could appear in a book or article related to your topic of interest.
  • Come up with synonyms or related terms for those.
  • Stick to using 2-4 nouns when searching.

Find Phrases with Quotation Marks

  • “radiologic imaging technology”
  • “nuclear medicine”
  • "medical imaging"
  • "magnetic resonance imaging"
  • "radiation physics"

Connect Keywords with Boolean Operators

Operator Example
AND joins dissimilar terms. It helps narrow your search. cancer AND mammography
OR joins similar terms. It helps broaden your search.

"magnetic resonance imaging" OR MRI
Use AND & OR together, as well.

"magnetic resonance imaging" OR MRI

AND children

Look for Variations of Words with Truncation

The asterisk * is the most common truncation symbol.

  • child* = child, children, childhood, etc.

You do have to be careful with truncation. Sometimes you might get unexpected results.

  • tech* = tech, technology, technologies, technical, technically, etc.

How to Choose Keywords

Online Research: Tips for Effective Search Strategies