Title
HealthSTAR, via UNCLE
Rationale for selection: Given the health-related topic of my question, I felt as if this would be a good database to search. Also, my success on another health-related database (Health Source Plus) encouraged me to try searching this database.
Evaluation of source
Format/means of access: The database is available on the UNC-CH campus, via the World Wide Web at UNC Library’s Electronic Indexes and Databases list, http://unclib.lib.unc.edu/eid/eresources.html
Scope:
Content/topics covered: “evaluation of patient outcomes; effectiveness of procedures, programs, products, services and processes; administration and planning of health facilities, services and manpower; health insurance; health policy; health services research; health economics and financial management; laws and regulation; personnel administration; quality assurance; licensure; and accreditation.”*
Time period covered: 1975-present, updated quarterly*
Types of materials covered: “HealthSTAR contains citations to the published literature on health services, technology, administration, and research. It focuses on both the clinical and non-clinical aspects of health care delivery.”*
Geographic/language coverage: International/International
Authority: “HealthSTAR is produced cooperatively by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the American Hospital Association.”*
Access points/indexing: The database has over 35 searchable fields, ranging from abstract to keywords to country of publication. It also has the option of mapping search terms to subject headings. This can help to limit the search and make it more precise.*
Availability of abstracts/full text: Full text is not available, but abstracts are available for most provided citations.
Special features: The database provides the option of automatically
mapping your search terms to the controlled vocabulary of the database.
This is a helpful option which allows you to view the organizational structure
of the database in order to refine your search. Provides a search history
which is expandable, this saves room and is a nice feature because it eliminates
annoying scrolling when you are conducting a lengthy search. Desired and
useful search results can be “marked”, displayed, then saved to a disk,
e-mailed to the searcher, and, of course, printed out.
Search strategies
I am using the search terms I have used throughout, with the exception
that I am excluding the search, “health OR medical” given the nature of
this database.
Set 1: searched for “running OR jogging” [mp=title, title continuation,
abstract, keywords, mesh subject heading] = 6,927
Set 2: searched for “results OR effects” [mp=title, title continuation,
abstract, keywords, mesh subject heading] = 759,513
Set 3: searched for “1 AND 2” = 2,414
Set 4: limited 3 to English Language = 2,100
Set 5: searched for “negative OR positive” [mp=title, title continuation,
abstract, keywords, mesh subject heading] = 186,891
Set 6: searched for “4 AND 5” = 177
Set 7: limited 6 to “Human” = 169
Set 8: limited 7 to Year “1990-2000” = 132
Set 9: limited 8 to Review Articles = 13
The pattern of my search represented my attempts to whittle away at the overly large returns I received from a customary search. As I limited my search, I was able to focus in on articles more to my liking. I decided to include Set 5 in order to further limit my search, and after browsing results, I determined it would also be in my best interest to limit the search to Review Articles of a less technical nature.
Evaluation of results
This database was helpful. I returned two useful results, although
one of these results had already been obtained using Health Source Plus.
I presume that this is a symptom of overlap among databases which cover
roughly the same topics. This search showed me not just that these
databases can overlap, but also that searching similar databases, the searcher
can still find unique results.
*-Information found at http://www.ovid.com/products/databases/