Cofrin Library

University of Wisconsin Green Bay Cofrin Library Cofrin Library - Quality service, quality information, quality learning - UW Green Bay

Nursing Research (NURSING - 451) (De Villers)

Researching Current Journal Literature:

Note that in order to connect to these resources from off campus you will be prompted when connecting to log in with your campus network user name and password. This is the same username and password you use to log onto the campus network or to check your UW-Green Bay e-mail account.  

Databases Containing Citations to Articles in Professional / Scholarly / Peer Reviewed Journals

  • CINAHL Provides complete coverage of the professional literature in nursing, 14 allied health disciplines and health sciences librarianship. CINAHL incorporates over 500 journals and has some full-text articles. Entries will have abstracts, medically oriented subject headings, and you can limit to specific document types such as clinical trial, research instrument, etc. Coverage: 1982 - present.

  • EBSCOhost biomedical databases--can be searched together or separately . Searching separately allows you to use the search features unique to that database. This includes CINAHL, Medline, Nursing and Allied Health, Health Source Nursing/Academic, Biomedical Reference Collection, and Clinical Reference Systems.

  • Nursing and Allied Health Collection
    Description : Designed for nursing and allied health professionals, students, educators and researchers, this database provides full text for nearly 400 journals covering the areas of nursing, biomedicine, health sciences, consumer health and allied health disciplines. All full text titles included in Nursing & Allied Health: Comprehensive Edition are indexed in CINAHL.
    Coverage: 1975-
  • Health Source
    Description: There are two versions of this database, a Consumer edition and a Nursing/Academic edition.  Between the two editions there are abstracts and indexing for nearly 500 consumer health, nutrition and professional periodicals. Over 200 periodicals are covered in full text as well as over 1,000 health pamphlets. Also included is USP DI Volume II, Advice for the Patient which provides patient-oriented drug information in lay language and 17 health books published by the People's Medical Society.
    Coverage: 1988 -

  • You can also go to "How Do I FInd...articles and databases" and then choose "databases by Subject", then "Nursing & Medicine" to link to relevant databases.

    • Health Source Nursing/Academic Edition: This database provides more than 550 scholarly full text journals focusing on many medical disciplines. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition also features abstracts and indexing for nearly 850 journals. This database is updated on a daily basis.

    • Medline: MEDLINE provides authoritative medical information on medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, pre-clinical sciences, and much more. Created by the National Library of Medicine, MEDLINE allows users to search abstracts from over 4,600 current biomedical journals. This database is current through 10/28/04. This is the most comprehensive medical database available. It uses subject headings unique to the field of medicine.

    • Biomedical Reference Collection Basic: 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

    • Nursing and Allied Health Collection Basic: Designed for nursing and allied health professionals, students, educators and researchers, this database provides full text for 100 journals covering the areas of nursing, biomedicine, health sciences, consumer health and allied health disciplines. All full text titles included in Nursing & Allied Health: Basic Edition are indexed in CINAHL
    A free version of the Medline database is available as the Pubmed database:
  • PubMed
    Description: PubMed is the National Library of Medicine's bibliographic database covering the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and the pre clinical sciences. The PubMed file contains bibliographic citations and author abstracts from approximately 3,900 current biomedical journals published in the United States and 70 foreign countries, as well as access to pre-medline articles. Coverage is worldwide, but most records are from English language sources or have English abstracts.
    Coverage: 1966 -

Consult Books:

  • Cofrin Library Catalog: use to search for items that this library owns.
  • Badgercat for Wisconsin libraries or WorldCat for libraries worldwide can be used to search for and request items that are owned by other libraries. Most  requests are filled in 5-10 days. 

Search Tips

SEARCHING IN ONLINE DATABASES USING CONTROLLED VOCABULARY

  • Many databases use thesaurus terms (subject labels). This is a way of ensuring that all articles on a particular topic have standard terms (or subject headings) assigned to them, even if variant terms has been used by different authors.
  • The words that make up the thesaurus are referred to as "controlled vocabulary." Major databases such as CINAHL and Medline have a thesaurus.
  • Using a controlled vocabulary makes information easier to access in most cases. For example, if we agree the term adolescent will be used to describe articles about people aged 13-17, then when we search, we don't need to worry about whether to search for the word "teens" or "teenager" or "adolescence" or "youth" All of those possibilities are contained in the controlled word adolescent. 
  • Thesaurus terms or controlled vocabulary can help to ensure that you get relevant information, and reduce the number of "false hits", since indexers generally apply thesaurus terms to subjects which form a significant part of the subject dealt with by the article.
  • One way many print and computerized thesauri lead users to controlled vocabulary terms is through the use of "SEE" and "SEE ALSO" references. For example, if you look up the word moods in PsycINFO, it tells you to USE: emotional states. If you look up the phrase juvenile drinking in the Social Sciences Abstracts, it tells you to see alcohol and youth.
  • Understand the difference between keywords and controlled vocabulary (variously known as subject headings, descriptors, or thesaurus terms)
  • Understand the ways to locate controlled vocabulary terms so that you can exploit their power. [Reference Librarians can point you in the right directions].
  • Recognize that you may have to try a search several different ways before you strike gold. If one word or phrase doesn't do the trick, others might, so be sure you have alternatives at the ready. 
  • Remember that one size generally does not fit all. Finding tools may or may not use the same controlled vocabulary; nor will they respond equally well even to the same keywords. You may find, for instance that broader terms work better in the catalog, and more specific words in indexes. As you move from one to the other, be aware that they may behave idiosyncratically and adjust your strategy accordingly.
  • If an article looks good, look at the terms assigned to it for ideas on how to modify your search.

NOTE: Not all databases provide searchers with a thesaurus. Be sure to read the database documentation.

How to create a successful search strategy

  • Write down your search topic in the form of a question or statement.  Underline the key terms or phrases.

  • List any synonyms, singular/plural forms, spelling variations, and different word endings that might be used.

  • As you search, write down the databases you have tried and your search strategy so you don't repeat the same search unnecessarily, and you can repeat your search if you need to..
  • Choose which Boolean operators if any you are going to use.

  1. AND - connects key terms together and will narrow your search topic by requiring that each term be present in the results. 

  2. OR - broadens your search by gathering results in which one or more of your key terms appear.

  3. NOT  - will produce a list of results that contain your first key term, but only if the second key term is not present.

  • Use truncation for words that have different endings.  For example: child when truncated: child* will search for child, children, child's, children's, and childish.  The symbol is usually either a ? or *
    Use the help feature for the database you are using, to determine which symbol should be used.

  • Write down your search topic in the form of a question or statement.Underline the key terms or phrases.
  • list any synonyms, singular/plural forms, spelling variations, and different word endings that might be used. Since a lot of British research is picked up in scholarly databases, in particular keep the variant British spellings in mind.
  • choose which Boolean operators if any you are going to use.

  1. AND - connects key terms together and will narrow your search topic by requiring that each term be present in the results. 

  2. OR - broadens your search by gathering results in which one or more of your key terms appear.

  3. NOT  - will produce a list of results that contain your first key term, but only if the second key term is not present.

  • Use truncation for words that have different endings.  For example: nurse when truncated to nurs* will search for nurse, nurses, nursing, nursed .  The symbol used in the library catalog to truncate is a ? and in most of the online databases use * Use the help feature for the database you are using, to determine which symbol should be used.

  • Try putting a phrase in double quote marks (") since some databases won't necessarily interpret words next to each other as a phrase.
Do We Have It? Can We Get It?
  • To check your options for accessing the text of an article, use the link you will see in many of our databases. If the full-text is available electronically, there will be a direct link to the text.
  • If we have some issues of the journal in paper or microfilm, the next thing on the results screen there will be a link to our catalog so you can check our holdings easily.
  • If we don't own, there will be a link to our interlibrary loan system so you can easily request a copy. Interlibrary loan requests usually take about a week to 10 days to arrive.
  • If you need to check a citation and aren't already in a database, just go to the find a citation form under the "online databases drop-down menu.

Citing Your Sources

  • For help in citing your sources in your works cited page, the library has some quick guides online for citing citations in both APA and MLA format, as well as a guide for internet sources.
  • For more detailed help with citing sources, consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. The current edition is at the Reference desk, call number: BF 76.7 .P83 2001.

    You can contact the Reference Desk directly via e-mail at REFDESK@uwgb.edu or by phone at 920-465-2303 or toll-free 1-888-729-4611 for assistance.