Library Homepage: Conducting a Literature Review: What to Search

Once you have defined your question and generated keywords to try searching, its time to enter the databases.

Each database has different limiters and features to help you find evidence-based content.
Look for filters such as meta-analyses, systematic reviews, literature reviews, and evidence-based practice content.
Try adding phrases to your search
- "your topic" AND ("systematic review" OR "meta-analyses")

Linked below are some of the top resources to search for content for your literature review.

Recommended Resources in the Library

The following licensed library databases contain filtered evidence-based practice content in the form of literature reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical practice and clinical trials.

Many databases have search and results limiters for narrowing to evidence-based practice.

ALL EBSCO databases This link opens in a new window
Search ALL EBSCO databases simultaneously or choose specific databases from the list. Includes CINAHL, Psych Info, Health Business Elite, Health Policy Reference Center, Medline Complete, and Open Dissertations.
CINAHL with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Use the search page limiter - Evidence-based Practice located in the Special Interest drop-down menu.
Cochrane Library This link opens in a new window
The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases that contain different types of high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making.

ERIC - Education Resources Information Center
Full-text content through this index is linked into the library searches in EBSCO and Proquest Central.

DynaMed This link opens in a new window
A clinician-focused tool designed to facilitate efficient and evidence-based patient care. Includes drug content from Micromedex, international guidelines, and clinical images.
Health & Medical Collection This link opens in a new window
Access full text content in general medicine, psychiatry, dentistry, alternative medicine, and other research areas in healthcare.
Journal of Professional Nursing This link opens in a new window
A growing collection from Science Direct - currently includes the Journal of Professional Nursing. Coming Oct 1, 2023 additional journal titles: Nurse Education Today, Nursing Outlook, Clinical Simulation in Nursing, Teaching and Learning in Nursing, Nurse Leader, Journal of Nursing Regulation
MEDLINE Complete This link opens in a new window
Full text database covering an extensive range of subjects including biomedicine, pre-clinical science, health policy development and much more
Nursing Reference Center Plus This link opens in a new window
For EBP:
Search for a disease or condition and Select "Evidence-Based Care Sheets" tab (note- this is not considered a journal article).
OVID Nursing & Healthcare Journals This link opens in a new window
Access the customized collection of 31 journals on specialized topics in Nursing and Healthcare.
ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window
This is the largest journal article database in the library, including Coronavirus Research Center, Health & Medical Collection, Health Administration Database, Nursing & Allied Health, Psychology Database, Public Health Database.
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses: The Sciences and Engineering Collection B This link opens in a new window
Access full-text dissertations and theses in the biomedical sciences and review the content cited in the references for evidence-based practice literature.

Selected Full-text Academic Journals Outside the Library

Clinical Nursing Studies
Health Affairs
JAMA Network Open
Journal of Nursing
The Lancet Open Access
Minority Nurse
Nursing Research and Practice
Online Journal of Health Ethics (OJHE)
Online Journal of Nursing Informatics
The Open Nursing Journal
Pan American Journal of Public Health
PNAS: Proceedings of the National Academies of Science
Preventing Chronic Disease
PubMed Central
Open Access (free) nursing and healthcare journals indexed in PubMed.

Conducting a Literature Review

Indexes Outside the Library (not full-text)

The following resources are indexes. (Not full-text)

Once you have defined your question and generated keywords to try searching, its time to enter the databases.

Each database has different limiters and features to help you find evidence-based content.

Look for filters such as meta-analyses, systematic reviews, literature reviews, and evidence-based practice content.

Try adding phrases to your search

"your topic" AND ("systematic review" OR "meta-analyses")

Linked below are some of the top resources to search for content for your literature review.

Recommended Resources in the Library

The following licensed library databases contain filtered evidence-based practice content in the form of literature reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical practice and clinical trials.

Many databases have search and results limiters for narrowing to evidence-based practice.

Selected Full-text Academic Journals Outside the Library