It can be difficult to decide which databases are the best source of information for a particular question. This KBA provides a strategy to determine appropriate databases to search based on the purpose and topic area of your question.
What is the purpose of my search?
- Looking for articles, editorials, or reviews
- Looking for books
- Looking to see if anyone has cited a particular article
- To conduct a formal review, such as a systematic or scoping review
What is my topic area?
- Medicine, nursing or dental medicine
- Public health, sociomedical sciences or social sciences
- Other
Given the purpose of my search and topic area, which databases might be relevant?
Looking for articles, editorials, or reviews:
- PubMed – a biomedical database produced by the National Library of Medicine.
- Embase – a comprehensive biomedical literature database.
- CINAHL – the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature.
- APA PsycInfo - search the mental health literature.
- Cochrane Library – a database which features systematic reviews, clinical trials and protocols.
- ProQuest – a comprehensive, multidisciplinary database covering science/technology, health sciences, social sciences and more.
- Scopus – a comprehensive database covering health, physical and social sciences.
- Web of Science – a comprehensive database covering the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities.
- CLIO – search the library catalog for databases by keyword.
- Google Scholar– a web search engine that indexes scholarly literature from many disciplines.
Looking for books:
- Access Medicine – a comprehensive collection of electronic medical textbooks and resources (includes Harrison’s).
- Clinical Key – a clinical search engine with textbooks, articles and more (includes Goldman-Cecil).
- LWW Health Library – a collection of electronic medical textbooks, example cases and self-assessments (includes Bates).
- CLIO – search the library catalog for books by keyword.
Looking to see if anyone has cited an article:
- Web of Science – search for a specific article in this comprehensive database covering the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities.
Conducting a formal review, such as a systematic or scoping review:
- Identify appropriate databases by looking at published reviews on similar research topics in your target journals or prominent journals in your field.
- Talk to an advisor or mentor in your field to learn what databases they search.
- Contact an Informationist at the Health Sciences Library to discuss further