Quantitative Studies

This Libguide provides a starting point on identifying quantitative evidence using health-related databases.

“Quantitative research deals with data that are numerical or that can be converted into numbers" (Judithe Sheard, 2018).

You should consider incorporating the following to aid in identifying the quantitative evidence:

• research that falls under the broad context of being quantitative (e.g. observational studies, clinical trials),
• research that employs a specific data collection method or statistical analysis (e.g. chart review, CHI square), or
• research that incorporates a specific methodology (e.g. randomized controlled trial, case control, cohort)

The nature of your research question may require you to search outside of the health databases (e.g. BIOSIS Previews, clinicaltrials.gov).

You could use pre-tested strategies, know as filters, to identify the quantitative evidence that is findable in the major biomedical databases. Filters exist for most types of experimental designs. They may be comprised of controlled vocabulary and keywords relating to study type, as well as the methodological description of an experimental design. Please consult the search filter tab below for more information.

When using controlled vocabulary (i.e. Subject Headings, e.g. MeSH, EMTREE) look at the scope note to identify whether the scope is too broad or narrow (e.g. Statistics as Topic) for your project. The scope note will provide searching insight:

• as it includes a definition, when the subject heading came into use (i.e. Year of Entry), and previous indexing
• as it provides a list of “used for” terminology which will inform keyword searches, and related controlled vocabulary

Review the Tree structure for the controlled vocabulary term to identify broader and narrower terms.

Click here to learn more about wildcards and truncations.