Background sources help clinicians get up to speed on unfamiliar topics. Tip: Search the library catalog (Quick Search) on the library homepage for keywords plus the word "encyclopedia" to find subject encyclopedias. Keep an eye on currency; background resources are often a few years out of date.
In the Sciences, primary literature provides a full description of someone's original research. For example, a journal article is a primary source if it is written by a nursing team describing their study of patient outcomes after treatment with a new method of diabetic wound care. A secondary source would be an article commenting on their research or analyzing several published studies of diabetic wound care.
These journal articles usually describe methodology, data, results, and conclusions. The evidence based approach emphasizes a hierarchy of evidence based on study types. When searching for single studies on a topic, clinicians can utilize database tools (limits and filters) to mine the highest level of evidence to answer a clinical question.
These sources summarize the medical literature by selecting and appraising relevant individual studies to answer a particular clinical question. In most cases, clinicians initiate a search for answers to clinical questions through these secondary sources. Please note that we have included evidence-based guidelines in this category; guidelines can provide an answer to a clinical question based on the best evidence. Again, keep an eye on currency.
The Wegner Health Sciences Library offers several tools that can be used immediately at the point-of-care with a patient. They are easy to use and contain filtered information. Most evidence-based point-of-care tools include levels of evidence, rating scales or recommendations as well as citations back to the original research studies, systematic reviews, or guidelines.
The databases below are especially useful for finding secondary literature (Systematic Reviews, Meta-Analyses, Practice guidelines, etc.). CINAHL and PubMed also index the primary literature (controlled trials, cohort studies, case studies, etc.).
Login with your Jacks email and password (faculty--use SDSU email).
CINAHL - Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature
The best resource to find published literature in nursing and in the allied health fields. In advanced search mode, you can limit your results list to specific levels of evidence.
The next two Ebsco databases may be searched as a group along with CINAHL. Limit your search to peer-reviewed journals.
Alt HealthWatch - Alternative, complementary, and holistic health care.
Health Source: Nursing/Academic
Cochrane Library*
The top resource for systematic reviews. Access through the Wegner Library website.
Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database*
Developed by an international organization based in Australia, JBI offers a range of summarized and appraised evidence specifically for nurses: Recommended Practices, Evidence Summaries, Best Practice Information Sheets, Systematic Reviews, Consumer Information Sheets, and more. A good complement to the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Access through the Wegner Library.
PubMed
The best resource for published literature in the health sciences. PubMed covers thousands of journals in all aspects of the health sciences, both human and veterinary. Searches can be limited to practice guidelines, systematic reviews, or controlled trials by applying the appropriate "Type of Article" limit. Free access through the National Library of Medicine, but starting from our library link provides many more full-text articles than PubMed through Google.
*Databases marked with an asterisk are accessed through the Wegner Health Sciences Library website.
Access Medicine: Practice Guidelines in Primary Care*
This handy guide draws information from many sources of the latest guidelines for preventive services, screening methods, and treatment approaches commonly encountered in the outpatient setting.
ClinicalKey for Nursing*
Provides nurses with clinically relevant answers from evidence-based nursing books, peer-reviewed journals, practice guidelines, and core measures with nursing recommendations. Designed for nursing care, including: - Administering medication - Managing nurse policy - Monitoring for complications - Providing patient education.
DynaMed*
Content is written by an international "team of physicians who synthesize the evidence and provide objective analysis of health interventions."
Epistimonikos
A a freely available index that links together systematic reviews, overviews of reviews and primary studies.
National Guidelines Clearinghouse (NGC)
Provides structured, standardized summaries of thousands of current practice guidelines created by medical specialty associations, professional societies, public or private organizations, government agencies at the federal, state, or local level, or health care organizations. To be included in the NGC, the guideline creators must have performed a systematic literature search and a review of existing scientific evidence published in peer reviewed journals during guideline development.
PsycINFO
For mental health, psychiatry, psychology, and behavioral research.
Systematic reviews
Where are they found?
Cochrane Library, Joanna Briggs Institute, PubMed, CINAHL. In PubMed and CINAHL, enter your search, then as a second step, limit the search results to systematic reviews.
Clinical practice guidelines
Where are they found?
National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC)
NGC is a public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
CINAHL: A smaller number can also be found in the CINAHL database using the "guidelines" limiter.
Current Practice Guidelines in Primary Care (AccessMedicine)
This handy guide draws information from many sources of the latest guidelines for preventive services, screening methods, and treatment approaches commonly encountered in the outpatient setting.
