OK, so there are lots of information sources out there. But which do you use? Can you be sure you've chosen the right one? We hope that these notes will help. Please call us for more advice.
All the databases recommended here are listed on our databases pages
What sort of answer do you want?
We don't mean 'what facts' but rather 'what sort of information?' For example, are you looking for a simple yes or no or for something to impress your tutor? The answer to these questions tells what database to use. So, do you want:
- An answer to a clinical question - reliable information that can be understood and applied quickly?
- Material for an essay - lots of papers from heavyweight journals to impress your tutor, plus some reviews to help you get your head round the literature?
- Papers for a research proposal - primary research to support your thesis?
- Developing a guideline/change in practice - reliable evidence, based on sound research and with practical applications to people, not laboratory mice?
Practical, reliable clinical information
We recommend that you try Clinical Knowledge Summaries on the National Library for Health (NLH) website at http://www.library.nhs.uk. This contains topic reviews on almost 500 clinical situations plus guidance from the PRODIGY database. You might also find the NLH specialist clinical libraries useful.
Lots of papers
In this case, you need to use the traditional literature databases, Medline, CINAHL, EMBase. You will certainly get lots of references but not much indication of the papers' quality. There are several available (look at our 'literature databases' page) but check the subject coverage to make sure you are using the right ones.
Research papers
The usual places to start are the literature databases. However, the evidence-based movement has shown how you can't always trust research paper results to be statistically correct. So we recommend you also use the Cochrane Library, the Database of Reviews of Effectiveness and the Cochrane Clinical Trials database to identify reliable material.
Research-based clinical evidence
The Cochrane Library and Clinical Knowledge Summaries will give you reliable, clinically applicable information. It's also worth checking the NLH Guidelines Finder and checking reputable guidelines sites such as the Scottish Inter-Collegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN).
There's always an alternative
Drop us a line or give us a call and we'll do the search for you. Most searches are completed in less than five working days and we'll tailor the results to suit what you need.