Subject guides: Evidence Based Practice: Finding the Evidence?

Finding Evidence-Based Information Resources

The following databases include tools that allow you to narrow your search to evidence-based information resources. The short descriptions beneath each database explain how to do this.

Cochrane Library This link opens in a new window
The latest officially published evidence to support the practice of evidence based medicine. Each Cochrane Review is a peer-reviewed systematic review.
MEDLINE with Full Text This link opens in a new window
MEDLINE with Full Text provides fulltext access to more than 1,370 journals indexed in Pubmed, a service of the National Library of Medicine. PubMed provides access to over 12 million MEDLINE citations back to the mid-1960's and additional life science journals.
Nursing Reference Center Plus This link opens in a new window
Nursing Reference Center Plus provides full text clinical resources for nurses. The database includes evidence-based disease & condition information, as well as patient education content and drug & reference information from top publishers. It also features best practices guidelines, continuing education modules, and patient education information, including handouts.

Health Databases

You can search the following databases to find journal articles. Each database has an option to limit search results to evidence based practice.

CINAHL Plus with Fulltext
Full-text access to a wide range of nursing and allied health journals

MEDLINE with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Large medical/health database providing full-text access to journal articles indexed in PubMed.
PubMed This link opens in a new window
Major medical/health database from the US National Library of Medicine, can be used as a starting point for many health/medical topics.

ScienceDirect
Database containing a large amount of medical, psychology and scientific information, much in full-text. Includes access to the Elsevier Freedom Collection.
Informit Health Collection
BioMed Central
BioMed Central has over 100 journals covering general interest and specialist content, including BMC Public Health. Most content is peer-reviewed.

Web Resources

Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
The website of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine in Oxford in the UK.
JAMA Users' Guide to the Medical Literature
The Education Guides are provided as both online slideshows (tailored for individual use) and as downloadable PowerPoint files (for group presentations, full-screen viewing, and printing). JAMA evidence subscribers are welcome to use the presentation for educational and personal use.
eMJA Clinical Guidelines
WHO guidelines
The development of global guidelines ensuring the appropriate use of evidence represents one of the core functions of WHO. Recommendations that can impact upon health policies or clinical interventions are considered guidelines for WHO purposes.
Centre for Evidence Based Mental Health
The Centre:
Promotes the teaching and practice of evidence-based health care (EBHC) throughout the UK (with special emphasis on evidence-based mental health) and internationally.
Develops, evaluates, and disseminates improved methods of using research in practice, and incorporates these in the teaching methods of the CEBMH.

PICO

When searching for answers to foreground questions, the recommended framework for structuring your search is PICO. PICO stands for:

Patient

Intervention or Exposure

Comparison Intervention (frequently the comparison may be to take no action)

Outcome

Read more about PICO

Evidence Based Practice: Finding the Evidence?

Finding Evidence-Based Information Resources

Health Databases

Web Resources

PICO

Joanna Briggs Institute EBP