NUR 505: Nursing Research Course Guide

Introduction

This page presents an overview of the resources and services currently available to students. Services, resources, and locations are all subject to change, particularly during academic year breaks. What's new at Fogler library.

General Tips on Library Use

Not sure where to start?
- The Fogler Library and Off-Campus Library Services Web pages link to online library resources as well as information about the libraries.
- See Introduction to Library Research for a brief introduction to Fogler Library.
- The Floor Plan shows where materials are located in Fogler Library.
- Check the Fogler Library Nursing portal and Nursing guide for resources selected for your program.
- Computer problems? See How to Connect.
- Questions?
Activate your library card at the Fogler Library circulation desk so you can use library resources off campus. (Distance education students: use the Library Card Application page.) Wait a day or two for complete activation.
Plan on using a mix of online resources (accessible off campus) and print resources that must be copied or used inside the library. Give yourself enough time to find and copy library materials.
On the Orono campus your MaineCard permits $16 worth of "free" printing ($0.04/page) each semester. Pay for excess printouts using campus funds ("Black Bear Bucks"). Free printing funds don't carry over between semesters, but campus funds do. Photocopies cost $0.08/page (campus funds).

Nursing Databases

Use Indexes and Databases (Fogler Library) or the Systemwide list of indexes and databases to find citations or references to journal articles. For additional databases available from Fogler Library, see the list available from the nursing portal. Databases are designed for use worldwide, so they refer to items the UMS libraries don't own.

Selected databases for nursing available at Fogler Library
Database	Subjects covered	Materials covered	Notes
CINAHL CINAHL database guide	Nursing, allied health	Journal articles, dissertations, software, etc. 1982+	Includes non-English publications
Cochrane Library	Diseases, conditions, treatments, interventions	Full text systematic reviews, clinical trials, technology assessments
MEDLINE MEDLINE database guide	Medicine, related health sciences	Journal articles. ~1950+	Includes non-English publications. Includes references on animal research.
PubMed	Medicine, related health sciences	Journal articles. Pre-1950+	More current and comprehensive than MEDLINE. Includes clinical query filters. Includes non-English publications. Includes references on animal research.
PsycINFO PsycINFO database guide	Psychology, psychiatry, educational psychology	Journal articles, book chapters. 1887+	Includes non-English publications. Includes references on animal research.

Searching Databases

See the database guides for CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO for detailed instructions.

Search steps

Note: Use "Advanced Search" to get the best results from the databases.

Document your research process--list the databases you used, the search terms you tried, etc.
Define your topic and parameters.
Identify individual concepts within your topic.
Search for each concept separately. Use subject headings or terms from the thesaurus whenever possible.
Combine the concepts.
Apply limits to the results.

Use subject headings or terms from the thesaurus

Use the "suggest subject terms" or "thesaurus" feature
Each database uses its own thesaurus, which is updated annually. Example: MEDLINE's "MeSH" (Medical Subject Headings).
Use "Explode" to select a subject heading plus more specific related terms
- In CINAHL and MEDLINE, exploding retrieves all more specific related terms
- In PsycINFO only partial explodes are possible. (Example: exploding Pain retrieves Neuralgia but not the even more specific Trigeminal Neuralgia.)
Some topics are best searched by using a subject heading with a CINAHL subheading or MEDLINE subheading attached. Example: Immunization/AE (adverse effects of immunization).
You can attach multiple subheadings to a subject heading. Example: Otitis Media/DT/SU (drug therapy or surgery for otitis media).
For CINAHL and MEDLINE, use "Major Concept" within the thesaurus to focus your search--but only if needed.

No thesaurus or subject headings?

Try alternative terminology: vaccination as well as immunization
Try alternative spelling: immunisation as well as immunization
Truncate (use a wildcard) to get variations on a word: vaccinat* to find vaccinating, vaccination, vaccinations... Truncate carefully!

Combining concepts

Combine subject headings, sets, or search ID #s using ANDs Socialization and Students, Nursing s1 and s2
and ORs. Students, Nursing or Education, Nursing s1 or s2

Applying limits

Apply limits as needed
Common limits:
- year of publication
- language (or "English-only")
- age groups
- gender
- human (in MEDLINE and PsycINFO)
CINAHL also enables special publication type limits, such as "peer reviewed" journals

Evidence Based Literature Searching

Selected from comprehensive strategies listed at Evidence-based Filters for Ovid CINAHL (PDF file), and Evidence-based Filters for Ovid Medline (PDF file).
Truly comprehensive strategies for the PsycINFO database have not yet been developed. For suggestions, see Evidence-based Practice in Social Work, Health Evidence Bulletins - Wales/Methodology, and PsycInfo Evidence-Based Filters.
Consider combining the diagnosis search strategies with those for etiology. The prognosis and therapy strategies can be combined as well.
In CINAHL, consider combining subheadings with a limit for Research Article. No equivalent option exists for MEDLINE, but subheadings can help to focus retrieval.
If appropriate, consider using "negative" subheadings in CINAHL and MEDLINE: Adverse Effects, Contraindications, Poisoning, Toxicity.
Also check the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) and guidelines or best practice documents on specific nursing organization Websites.
For more complex strategies, consult with a librarian.

Selected strategies for finding evidence based literature in CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO, Fogler Library
Search Target	CINAHL	MEDLINE	PsycINFO
Meta-Analysis or Systematic Review These approaches can be used to find literature on diagnosis, therapy, etc. as well.	CINAHL Headings: Literature Review+ Literature Searching+ Meta Analysis Limits: Clinical Queries: Review Evidence-Based Practice Publication Type: Care Plan Critical Path Nursing Interventions Practice Guidelines Protocol Standards Systematic Review	MeSH: Meta-Analysis Limits: Clinical Queries: Reviews EBM Reviews Publication Type: Consensus Development Conference [both types] Guideline Meta-Analysis Practice Guideline Review Subject Subset: Systematic Reviews	Thesaurus: Best Practices Evidence Based Practice Literature Review Meta Analysis Professional Standards Limits--Methodology: Literature Review Meta Analysis Systematic Review
Diagnosis	CINAHL Headings: Clinical Assessment Tools Diagnosis, Differential Diagnostic Errors+ Measurement Issues and Assessments+ Nursing Assessment Observer Bias+ Predictive Value of Tests Professional Practice, Research-Based+ Reproducibility of Results Sensitivity and Specificity CINAHL Subheadings: Diagnosis Diagnostic Use Pathology Radiography Ultrasonography Limits--Publication Type: Nursing Diagnoses Practice Guidelines	MeSH: Area Under Curve Diagnosis, Differential Diagnostic Errors+ Likelihood Functions Observer Variation Reproducibility of Results Sensitivity and Specificity+ MEDLINE Subheadings: Diagnosis Diagnostic Use Pathology Radiography Radionuclide Imaging Ultrasonography Limits: Clinical Queries: Diagnosis Publication Type: Evaluation Studies Multicenter Study Practice Guideline Validation Studies	Thesaurus: Diagnosis [explode term] Predictability (Measurement) Screening [explode term] Statistical Reliability Statistical Significance Statistical Validity Test Reliability Test Validity
Etiology	CINAHL Headings: Analytic Research Case Control Studies+ Epidemiological Research+ Nonexperimental Studies+ Odds Ratio Predictive Value of Tests Professional Practice, Research-Based+ Prospective Studies+ Risk Assessment Risk Factors+ Sensitivity and Specificity CINAHL Subheadings: Chemically Induced Complications Embryology Epidemiology Etiology Familial And Genetic Immunology Microbiology Risk Factors Transmission Limits--Clinical Queries: Causation (Etiology)	MeSH: Epidemiologic Factors+ Epidemiologic Studies+ Odds Ratio Risk+ MEDLINE Subheadings: Chemically Induced Complications Congenital Embryology Epidemiology Etiology Genetics Immunology Microbiology Parasitology Transmission Virology Limits Clinical Queries: Causation (Etiology) Publication Type: Multicenter Study	Thesaurus: At Risk Populations Causal Analysis Causality Cohort Analysis Epidemiology Etiology Genetics Longitudinal Studies [explode term] Predisposition Retrospective Studies Risk Assessment Risk Factors Limits--Methodology: Longitudinal Study Prospective Study Retrospective Study
Prognosis	CINAHL Headings: Disease Progression Morbidity+ Mortality+ Nonexperimental Studies+ Outcomes (Health Care)+ Prognosis+ Prospective Studies+ Recurrence Survival Analysis+ Time Factors CINAHL Subheadings: Mortality Prognosis Limits--Clinical Queries: Prognosis	MeSH: Cohort Studies+ Disease Progression Morbidity+ Mortality+ Outcome Assessment (Health Care)+ Prognosis+ Recurrence Survival Analysis+ MEDLINE Subheading: Mortality Limits: Clinical Queries: Prognosis Publication Type: Multicenter Study	Thesaurus: Cohort Analysis Disease Course Epidemiology Followup Studies Longitudinal Studies [explode term] Morbidity Mortality Rate Prognosis Limits--Methodology: Followup Study Longitudinal Study Prospective Study
Therapy	CINAHL Headings: Clinical Research+ Clinical Trials+ Community Trials Comparative Studies Crossover Design Experimental Studies Outcomes (Health Care)+ Patient Selection Placebos Pilot Studies Professional Practice, Research-Based+ Random Sample+ Reproducibility of Results Research Methodology Sample Size Study Design CINAHL Subheadings: Administration And Dosage Diet Therapy Drug Therapy Nursing Prevention And Control Radiotherapy Rehabilitation Surgery Therapeutic Use Therapy Transplantation Limits: Clinical Queries: Therapy Publication Type: Care Plan Clinical Trial Critical Path Nursing Interventions Practice Guidelines Protocol	MeSH: Clinical Protocols+ Clinical Trials+ Comparative Study Double-Blind Method Epidemiologic Research Design+ Feasibility Studies Outcome Assessment (Health Care)+ Pilot Projects Placebos Research Design+ Single-Blind Method MEDLINE Subheadings: Administration & Dosage Diet Therapy Drug Therapy Nursing Prevention & Control Radiotherapy Rehabilitation Surgery Therapeutic Use Therapy Transplantation Limits: Clinical Queries: Therapy Publication Type: Clinical Trial [or phases] Comparative Study Controlled Clinical Trial Evaluation Studies Guideline Multicenter Study Practice Guideline Randomized Controlled Trial	Thesaurus: Clinical Trials Followup Studies Longitudinal Studies Placebo Posttreatment Followup Program Evaluation [explode term] Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation Treatment Guidelines Treatment Outcomes [explode term] Limits--Methodology: Followup Study Treatment Outcome/Clinical Trial

From Citations To Articles

See Finding Items at Fogler Library and Getting Articles From Other Libraries.

More information about interlibrary loan:

Most article copies are free, but sometimes other libraries charge delivery and copying fees. On the request form, indicate the maximum cost you are willing to pay in case there is a charge.
Paper copies are sent to Fogler Library.
If you are going to visit another library, call before you travel. Check hours, policies, copying fees, and whether the issue you need is available.

Notes for distance education students:

In the URSUS catalog, click the link(s) appropriate to your primary campus affiliation and where you are located.
Some of the links on the Ejournals list may not work for you.
Use the Off-Campus Library Services Document Delivery System to get copies of articles sent directly to your preferred address (which may add to the delivery time).

Questions?

Nancy Curtis, 581-1679
UMaine Science & Engineering Center, 581-1691
UMaine Reference Desk, 581-1673

Ask A Librarian at UMaine
OCLS, 1-800-339-7323
Ask A Librarian at Off-Campus Library Services

Created by: Nancy Curtis | Revised: 05/26/2009