Library Resources for Graduate Nursing Students

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 guide and Nursing portal 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 or "Black Bear Bucks" ($0.04/page). Free printing funds don't carry over between semesters (but campus funds do). Use campus funds to pay for photocopies ($0.08/page).

Databases

Use Indexes and Databases or the MARINER list of indexes and databases to find citations or references to journal articles. Bibliographic databases are designed for use worldwide, so they will list items the University of Maine System libraries don't own.

Searching Databases

See the database guides for CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO for detailed instructions. Click to get the best results from the databases.

Search steps

1. Document your research process--list the databases you used, the search terms you tried, etc.
2. Define your topic and parameters.
3. Identify individual concepts within your topic.
4. Search for each concept separately. Use subject headings or terms from the thesaurus whenever possible.
5. Combine the concepts.
6. 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. Example: MEDLINE and PubMed's "MeSH" (Medical Subject Headings).
• Use "Explode" to select a subject heading plus more specific related terms
  • UM has set up CINAHL and MEDLINE so exploding retrieves all of the more specific related terms.
  • UM has set up PsycINFO with partial explodes. (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/PubMed subheading attached. Example: Dysmenorrhea/DT (drug therapy for dysmenorrhea).
• You can select multiple subheadings for a subject heading. Example: Ibuprofen/AE/CT/PO/TO (ibuprofen: adverse effects, contraindications, poisoning, or toxicity).
• Use "Major Concept" within the thesaurus to focus your search--but only if needed.

No thesaurus or subject headings?

• Try alternative terminology: Relafen as well as nabumetone.
• Try alternative spelling: aluminum sulphate as well as aluminum sulfate.
• Truncate (use a wildcard) to get variations on a word: vaccinat* to find vaccinating, vaccination, vaccinations... Truncate carefully!

Combine concepts

Combine subject headings or sets using ANDs Ibuprofen and Dysmenorrhea s1 and s2
and ORs. Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen s1 or s2

Apply limits

• Apply limits as needed.
• Common limits:
  • publication year
  • language (including English)
  • age groups
  • gender
  • human (in MEDLINE and PsycINFO)
• CINAHL includes special publication type limits, such as "peer reviewed" journals
• In Pre-CINAHL you can apply some of the CINAHL limits by using them as search terms: ibuprofen and peer reviewed.

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.
• Some of the links on the Ejournals list may not work for distance education students.
• Distance education students can use the Off-Campus Library Services Document Delivery System to get copies of articles
• Distance education students: Only Off-Campus Library Services delivers paper copies directly to your preferred address (and this adds to the delivery time).

Questions?

Created by: Nancy Curtis | Revised: 02/21/2008

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