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University of Southern Maine
Libraries & Learning

Nursing

A general guide to research and resources for students in the Nursing program

Why use library databases?

 We recommend that you start your research with library databases for several reasons:

1) Your tuition helps pay for access to the journal articles contained in the databases.

2) They are clear about what they do - you know whether the journals contained within are peer-reviewed,

3) There are many journals in databases that are not free. If you just use Google, you will be missing many resources.

Online Indexes and Databases

Searching Tips and Tricks

  • Most databases allow for searching with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).
    • Use AND to focus your search and combine different aspects of your topic
    • Use OR to broaden your search and find sources that use different words for the same concept.
    • Use NOT to omit certain terms from your results.
  • Use an asterisk (*) to truncate words if you want to search for all words with that root. For example, “environment*” would search for environment, environmental, environmentalism, etc.
  • Put quotes around a phrase that you want the database to search as a phrase, rather than as individual words.
  • Group synonyms inside parentheses using OR between each one

Example:

Most databases, as well as LibrarySearch and MaineCat, assign subjects to books and articles. A subject is a designated word or phrase that describes an idea or concept and groups all articles or books about that concept together.

  • Subjects are also variously called descriptors, controlled vocabulary, headings, or index terms.
  • To search by subject you have to know the exact subject term. Most databases that use subjects have a Thesaurus that you can use to look up subject terms. You can also do a keyword search, find a book or article that is relevant to your research, and look at the subject terms assigned to it.
  • LibrarySearch and MaineCat use Library of Congress Subject Headings and each database has their own list of subject headings, so you have to look up subjects in each database independently.

There are many ways you can get research materials from other libraries. In the vast majority of cases, there is no charge to you for this service!

  • From a database:
    • Select the item you want and find and click the  or "Article Linker" button (the placement on the page will vary by database).
    • If the library does not have access to the item, find and click the "Submit an Interlibrary Loan Request" link under Step 3 in the right panel.

Locate EB Articles-CINAHL/MEDLINE/PUBMED

Try these Search Strategies for locating Evidence Based Articles:

Adapted from Nancy Curtis' NUR 505 guide (UMO)

Search Target
CINAHL
MEDLINE
PUBMED

Meta-Analysis or Systematic Review. These approaches can also be used to find literature on diagnosis, therapy, etc.

Limits – Select Refine Search, Publication Type:

  1. Select:
    Systematic Review
    • Note: this may not retrieve all review articles.
  2. Also try:
    • Clinical Trial
    • Practice Guidelines
    • Protocol
    • Research
    • Review
    • Standards
  3. Clear previous limits and check box adjacent to Evidence-Based Practice. [Note: includes systematic reviews & meta-analyses but only from a pre-selected list of journals published since 2001+]

Limits – Cinahl Headings:

  • Literature Review (explode)
  • Meta Analysis
  • Professional Practice, Evidence based (explode)
  • Systematic Review

 

For an intervention search use clinical trial. Repeat search using research


Limits - Select Refine Search, Publication Type:

  • Clinical Trial
  • Consensus Development Conferences
  • Guideline
  • Meta-Analysis
  • Multicenter Study Review (or more specific review types)

 

Limits – MeSH Headings

  • Clinical Trials
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Meta-Analysis
  • Review Literature (explode)

 

Note: If check EBM Review box, results likely to be limited.

Consult find systematic reviews to locate:

  • Meta-analysis
  • Systematic reviews
  • Reviews of clinical trials
  • Evidence-based medicine
  • Consensus development conferences
  • Guidelines