LibGuides: Nursing: Using Databases to Find Articles

Before we jump into any research, we need to:

Learn some searching skills.
Learn how to read a scholarly article.
Learn how to use and find the citation tool.
Learn the importance of an annotated bibliography.

I recommend completing the tutorials and videos before moving onto the Selected Databases for Nursing and the PubMed sections.

Before You Start Your Research

Instructions

Watch and learn about Filters and Boolean Operators.
Review the Keyword/Search Terms video and tutorial below and apply those skills to your nursing topic.

Filters and Boolean Operators

Databases do not function like Google, meaning, you can't type an entire sentence in the search box. Knowing how to use keywords, boolean operators, and filters will give you better results. Consider watching the following videos before trying any of the library's databases.

How to Use Filters
- Learn how to use the databases to find peer-reviewed articles.
Understanding and Using Boolean Operators with your keywords/search terms.
- Learn how to use Advanced Search and Boolean Operators to try and find articles for your specific topic.
- One Exception: DO NOT use Boolean Operators in PubMed. PubMed's database system already does it for you.

Keywords/Search Terms

Keywords/search terms are important in your database searches. You can not type in questions or long phrases like in Google.

Watch & Learn

Read & Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Instructions

Before you start using your newly learned skills to find articles, let's learn about the different sections in scholarly articles.

Go through the tutorial and/or video to learn how to effectively read and understand scholarly material. Remember, they are written for experts so it's very important you learn the process. Tip: Write down the academic vocabulary used in the articles. The vocabulary can become your search terms/keywords.

Scholarly Articles

Scholarly articles differ greatly from the common popular articles you are accustomed to reading. Popular articles can typically be found in newspapers, magazines, and online. Popular articles are written for the general public and have many images with advertisements.

On the other hand, scholarly articles are quite the opposite. Scholarly articles are written by experts for other experts in the field, which makes them difficult to read and understand. The authors are always listed with their credentials/degrees. And most importantly, scholarly articles are only published after it has gone through a grueling review process performed by other peers in the field.

Watch & Learn

How to Read Scholarly Materials (video)

Read & Practice

How to Read Scholarly Materials (tutorial) 2019 update Correctly reading scholarly materials helps you get the most out of your sources and increases your understanding of your subject. We'll review steps you can take to better read and understand scholarly sources in this tutorial.

Instructions

Watch the citation video for a quick demonstration on how to retrieve citations (APA, MLA, etc.) for any peer-reviewed article found in a library database. It will help you create your annotated bibliography.
Review the annotated bibliography tutorial to learn their importance and components to effectively write one.

Citation Tool

The citation tool will save you HOURS as you conduct research by assisting you in creating a work cited page or annotated bibliography. The majority of websites in Google DO NOT provide you with a citation, you need to create it yourself.

Remember, every database is equipped with a citation tool, even PubMed. Always open the article first and you'll find the citation tool on the side menus. The citation tool will also allow you to change the citation style you need, such as APA, MLA, etc.

Watch & Learn

Citation Tool Video

Read & Practice

Annotated Bibliography (tutorial)

Selected Databases for Nursing

Try OneSearch, the library catalog, to search multiple databases in one single search, it's like our Google. Give it a try!

Use the skills learned in the YVC (filters/boolean operators/citations) videos to find articles on your specific topic.

The OneSearch database could be enough to complete your assignment but if you want to conduct further independent research on your topic then try the databases listed on this page.

USEFUL TIP: Also select the Full-Text filter along with Peer-Reviewed in these databases.

Best Bet Nursing Databases

Alt HealthWatch This link opens in a new window This database focuses on the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated approaches to health care and wellness. It offers libraries full text articles for more than 180 international, and often peer-reviewed journals and reports. In addition, there are hundreds of pamphlets, booklets, special reports, original research and book excerpts. Alt HealthWatch provides in-depth coverage across the full spectrum of subject areas covered by complementary and alternative medicine. This database features indexing and abstracts going back as far as 1984, and full text going back as far as 1990
Biomedical Reference Collection: Basic This link opens in a new window Designed for doctors, research scientist, students and clinical specialists, this database provides full text for over 100 journals in a variety of areas pertaining to medical study. All titles included in the Biomedical Reference Collection: Basic Edition are indexed in MEDLINE.
Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition This link opens in a new window This database provides nearly 550 scholarly full-text journals focusing on many medical disciplines. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition also features the AHFS Consumer Medication Information, which covers 1,300 generic drug patient education sheets with more than 4,700 brand names.
Nursing & Allied Health Database This link opens in a new window Provides reliable healthcare information covering nursing, allied health, alternative and complementary medicine, and much more, designed to meet the needs of researchers at healthcare facilities as well as nursing and allied health programs at academic institutions. The database provides abstracting and indexing for more than 850 titles, with over 715 titles in full-text, plus more than 12,000 full-text dissertations representing the most rigorous scholarship in nursing and related fields. Also includes training videos, study paths, and cultural healthcare information.

Other Databases to Try

YVC Database Example

Watch the videos in the YVC Database Example box to see a demonstration of using PubMed's search term example, gut microbiome allergy, in a YVC database. All the research skills can be applied to any other YVC database.

The YVC library (Yakima Campus), has the current and previous 5 years of the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) in print form. The best way to research our print collection is to search the online AJN.

Do a basic or advanced search using the research skills you've already learned.
Filter to the Last 5 Years under Publication Date.
Browse your results list and write down or screenshot the article's source information such as its volume, issue, and page numbers for those that require a purchase.
Come to the library with the source information to retrieve the appropriate journal issue from the shelf and you can make copies, screenshot the pages of the article or sit and read in the library.