How to cut through the noise to find relevant research: 

• carefully curate your keyword list beyond your topic 
• become an expert skimmer -- pay close attention to the methods section
• make an inclusion/exclusion criteria list for yourself 
• understand that the *perfect* articles do not exist - often you will have to make the connections

• Publication Type
• Keywords
• Using MesH subheadings
• Similar articles/Cited By
• Keep it Broad and Loose

What Kind of Data Are You Looking For? 

• Are you looking for qualitative data or quantitative data?
• What would be acceptable forms of data? Research interviews, chart reviews, observational anecdotes?

• MeSH terms with great ideas: Evaluation Studies as a Topic and Healthcare Evaluation Mechanism

Who and Where is Your Data Coming From? 

• Think about setting – schools, hospitals, specific depts in a hospital like ICU, at home, in a clinic?
• Who is involved? Therapists, staff, gov’t officials, patients, family members…

Program Development

• Program Development
• Implementation, progress, evaluation

Clinical Practical Skills

• Practice guidelines as Topic
• Guidelines as Topic  
• EBP Research (specific kinds of research publications)

Education

• Health Education (consumer health info, health literacy, health promotion)
• Patient Education as Topic
• Place (school health services, community center)

Leadership/Administration

• Leadership
• Personnel management
• Organization and Administration

Advocacy

• Patient advocacy (legal)
• Consumer advocacy
• Specific kind of advocacy/human rights? (privacy, access, etc.)

Policy Development

• Advisory Committees
• Policy Making
• Policy Analysis
• Funding/Cost Estimates
• Government level (federal, state, city, regional)
• Public Policy