title: Searching the literature by design.
abstract: Current nursing knowledge has been generated by studies whose designs range from exploratory to experimental. Searching the literature for a study illustrating a particular design can be a perplexing process. This article explains strategies that are useful in identifying research studies according to the designs used in their methods. The suggested search strategies assist in identifying the most relevant search results and can save time. Outcomes of such a search can be instructional about the implementation of a design in its classic form or some variation. They can provide practical illustrations of the advantages and limitations of a design when applied in a particular area of interest.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Littleton
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marsalis
authors.forename: Donna Zimmaro
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Bliss
mesh_terms: D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D015399:Nursing Research; D012107:Research Design; D018875:Vocabulary, Controlled