Using the following table—search the 5 databases based on your PICOT Question—under findings note the number of relevant articles found—you may not find something in every database. Under features discuss what you liked about that database. ON the discussion board summarize your search—attach your chart for those that would like to see your search. You may not find what you are looking for in every search—and that is OK—but you must search every database to see what may be out there.
Exploring the Literature
Picot Question:
Research Tool
Search Tips
Search Terms & Limits
Findings
Features
CINAHL
CINAHL is an SU subscription-only resource that offers full text access to 336 scholarly journals and indexes over 3,000 journals from the fields of nursing and allied health. Indexed journals do not provide access to full-text. Just because it is indexed in does not mean the library has full-text access to the journal. SU can always request articles for students via Interlibrary Loan, but the service is not instantaneous
- Look at the Major Subject Heading in the Full Record
- Use the Limits Feature:
- Example: Publication Type=Systematic Review
- Try the CINAHL Heading search:
Keyword search:
Limits:
CINAHL Heading search:
Limits:
PubMed
PubMed is a free health science citation & abstracts index from the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- Look at MeSH Terms in Full Record
- Use the Limits Feature:
- Examples: Article Type=Meta-Analysis; Age=All Adult
- Look for the open access Free articles!
Keyword search:
Limits:
MESH search:
Limits:
Cochrane Library
Cochrane Library provides access to the Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews. Full text of reviews are subscription only. Index summaries are a public resource. Indexed journals do not provide access to full-text. Just because it is indexed in does not mean the library has full-text access to the journal. SU can always request articles for students via Interlibrary Loan, but the service is not instantaneous
- Use the Simple Search and the Advance Search Features
- Allows you to search with MeSH Terms
- Check out the New Reviews
Browse reviews by topic
Keyword search:
Limits:
MESH search:
Limits:
Dynamed
- Use the Simple Search and the Advance Search Features
- Allows you to search with MeSH Terms
- Check out the New Reviews
Browse reviews by topic
Keyword search:
Also browse by:
TRIP Database
TRIP is a clinical search engine to locate publicly available clinical evidence.
- Limit to:
- Systematic Reviews
- Guidelines-US
Keyword search:
Limits:
SU Library Search
- Library Search is setup just like an EBSCO
- The Library even has a specialized PICOT search setup in Library Search—must go to Advance search to get to PICOT option
Other Databases:
Be sure to spend some time in Library Search it is setup just like an EBSCO database and gives you the experience of learning how to navigates databases, and provides you with a larger pool of information within which to search.
