LibGuides: Respiratory Care Research Guide: Finding Articles

Why Bother with Library Databases?

Everson, B. (2012). Why? [photo]. CC. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/editor/6698208975/

1. Most of what you find on Google isn't scholarly.

2. When you do find something scholarly on Google, the site often asks you to pay for it.

3. You should never have to pay for content. That's what the library is for!

Full Text Reminder

Remember, to link out to the full text of articles in databases such as PubMed and CINAHL, you'll need to use the Find It link. If you need a reminder on using the Find It link, please see the Full Text Linking tab.

Top Pick Databases

CINAHL: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Health and Wellness (Gale) This link opens in a new window
PubMed This link opens in a new window
Gale PowerSearch This link opens in a new window

Databases with Descriptions

CINAHL: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Full text articles from over 70 journals as well as legal cases, clinical innovations, critical paths, drug records, research instruments, and clinical trials. Also includes two million citations for over 2,900 journals from 1981 to present.
Health and Wellness (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Full text articles from medical journals and health magazines as well as reference sources, streaming video, audio, and images on health-related issues. Also includes Spanish editions of notable content and a Spanish search filter.
PubMed This link opens in a new window
Over 28 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and ebooks that may link to full text content. Some articles, journals, and books are Open Access.
Gale PowerSearch This link opens in a new window
Searches one, several, or all of the Gale databases simultaneously.

What is a Database

What is a database?? A database is "A collection of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data. You can think of a database as an electronic filing system" (University of Toledo Computer Science and Engineering Glossary, nd.).

So, if you want to find information on a certain topic, you can do a keyword search to find the related "files", or in this case, most likely articles.

You likely use databases all of the time, such as Google, or online shopping websites, but don't even realize that a database is what you're using.

The Databases by Major option is a quick route to find databases for your research!