Searching the Literature in Preparation for Research: Strategies That Matter.

Literature searches conducted in preparation for a study differ in both purpose and scope from the literature searches conducted to locate evidence relevant to specific, narrowly defined clinical or educational practice questions. In this Methodology Corner installment, several important considerations are reviewed, including the importance of understanding the scope and coverage of literature databases, the utility of database search fields and controlled vocabularies, search limiters and expanders, and the possible unintended consequences of limiting searches based on the availability of full-text resources. Examples are provided throughout to help nursing education researchers conduct more effective and efficient literature searches. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(8):441-443.].