LibGuides: Medical Laboratory Science Research Guide: Finding Articles

Why Bother with Library Databases?

Most of what you find on Google isn't scholarly.
When you do find something scholarly on Google, the site often asks you to pay for it.
You should never have to pay for content. That's what the library is for!

Image credit: Everson, B. (2012). Why? [photo]. CC. Image link.

Explore More Databases

Databases A - Z Alphabetical list of FLITE's more than 100 databases.
Databases by Broad Subject Areas Business, Financial, & Legal; Education & Career; General & Multidisciplinary; Health & Medical; Humanities; Librarian Resources; News Service / Newspapers; Reference; Science & Technology; Social Sciences
Databases by Major: All listings within system
Databases by Major: COHP, MCO & Pharmacy Database recommendations for College of Pharmacy, College of Health Professions, and Michigan College of Optometry
Ebook Databases Find full ebooks or relevant chapters / book entries.
Reference: Encyclopedias, Dictionaries.... Need an encyclopedia entry or a definition? Try these databases.
Video Databases Streaming videos.

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!

Top Pick Database Details

CINAHL: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
This database, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, draws information from more than 3000 journals. In order to link to the full text of articles, use the Find It link.
Gale PowerSearch This link opens in a new window
This databases is huge and useful for finding information on almost any topic. Information is coming from journals, magazines, books, newspapers, videos, and podcasts. If an article is not automatically in full text, use the Find It link to try to link out to full text.
PubMed This link opens in a new window
This is the largest biomedical database, and is cross-searching over 5000 journals that have been selected by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) . In order to link to the full text of articles: 1) Click into the article record 2) Use the Find It link.
Health and Wellness (Gale) This link opens in a new window
This database by default, searches medical encyclopedias and patient information resources, providing very nice succinct information on conditions and diagnostic tests, but also searches journals, magazines, pamphlets, videos, newspapers.
STAT!Ref (Teton Data Systems) This link opens in a new window
This database is an online library of core reference books with broad coverage in the areas of medicine and allied health. Search for condition/treatment overviews, clinical information, drug information, consumer health information, medical acronyms/definitions, and more. Key CLLS books in STAT!Ref include:
Guide to Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests, 3rd ed., Red Book: 2018-2021 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, 31st ed. and Wintrobe's Clinical Hematology, 14th ed.

SmartSearch

Search most of FLITE's resources right here:

Top Pick Databases

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.
Gale PowerSearch This link opens in a new window Searches one, several, or all of the Gale databases simultaneously.
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.
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.
STAT!Ref (Teton Data Systems) This link opens in a new window Searchable medical and allied health reference books.

Full Text Linking

In databases, when an article isn't immediately available in full text, you will need to use the Find It or Ferris FullText link to try to link to full text. Learn more.

Full Text Linking