title: Users' guide to the surgical literature: how to perform a high-quality literature search.
abstract: The article "Users" guide to the surgical literature: how to perform a "literature search" was published in 2003, but the continuing technological developments in databases and search filters have rendered that guide out of date. The present guide fills an existing gap in this area; it provides the reader with strategies for developing a searchable clinical question, creating an efficient search strategy,accessing appropriate databases, and skillfully retrieving the best evidence to address the research question.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont. (Waltho); the Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur, Thoma); the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur, Farrokhyar, Thoma); the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur); and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Haynes, Farrokhyar, Thoma).
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Waltho
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont. (Waltho); the Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur, Thoma); the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur, Farrokhyar, Thoma); the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur); and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Haynes, Farrokhyar, Thoma).
authors.forename: Manraj Nirmal
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont. (Waltho); the Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur, Thoma); the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur, Farrokhyar, Thoma); the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur); and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Haynes, Farrokhyar, Thoma).
authors.forename: R Brian
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont. (Waltho); the Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur, Thoma); the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur, Farrokhyar, Thoma); the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur); and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Haynes, Farrokhyar, Thoma).
authors.forename: Forough
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farrokhyar
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont. (Waltho); the Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur, Thoma); the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur, Farrokhyar, Thoma); the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Kaur); and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Haynes, Farrokhyar, Thoma).
authors.forename: Achilleas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thoma
mesh_terms: D001635:Bibliography of Medicine; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D013502:General Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans