LibGuides: Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences: Database searching

Database searching

Please note: videos on this page are in the process of being updated - 03/10/2024

See below for links to, and guidance on using, key databases and other resources of relevance to medicine, dentistry and biomedical sciences (MDBMS) searches.

Database queries should be directed to Richard Fallis, Subject Librarian for MDBMS: r.fallis@qub.ac.uk

Students are asked to view the video guides below, and/or attend a database training session listed at https://libguides.qub.ac.uk/medicinedentistrybiomedicalsciences/training, before requesting a Subject Librarian tutorial.

The videos below all use the search example shown at: https://libguides.qub.ac.uk/medicinedentistrybiomedicalsciences/searchplanning

cognitive deficit* OR cognitive impairment*

AND

COVID-19 OR coronavirus disease 2019 OR SARS-CoV-2

Limit results to: English language review articles about elderly patients

Searching PubMed

PubMed is a major, free medicine and biomedical sciences search platform.

It is recommended for quick searches, and for undergraduate literature searching.

If running advanced or postgraduate searches, MEDLINE ALL is recommended instead.

Access PubMed by clicking the link below:

PubMed PubMed is a digital archive of life sciences journal literature, maintained by the US National Library of Medicine

The video below shows how to search PubMed.

Video length: 2 minutes 52 seconds

Searching Ovid databases

Ovid is an online platform offering access to a number of key MDBMS databases.

In particular, the Ovid database MEDLINE ALL is recommended for postgraduate searches, or advanced searches such as scoping or systematic reviews.

Access key Ovid databases by clicking the links below and logging in with QUB credentials if prompted:

MEDLINE ALL Ovid MEDLINE covers the international literature on biomedicine, including the allied health fields and the biological and physical sciences, humanities, and information science as they relate to medicine and health care. Information is indexed from approximately 5,400 journals published world-wide.
Embase Ovid database, covering biomedical and extensive amounts of pharmacological research dating back to 1974.
APA PsycInfo (1967-present) APA PsycINFO is an electronic bibliographic database providing abstracts and citations to the scholarly literature in the psychological, social, behavioral, and health sciences. The database includes material of relevance to psychologists and professionals in related fields such as psychiatry, management, business, education, social science, neuroscience, law, medicine, and social work. Updated weekly, PsycINFO provides access to journal articles, books, chapters, and dissertations.

The video below shows how to search Ovid databases, with a particular focus on MEDLINE ALL.

Video length: 12 minutes 50 seconds

Searching Ovid databases (multi-field search), Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus: a 5-and-a-bit minute guide

The short video below covers planning and running simple but effective searches in these key medicine/healthcare-related databases:

Medline ALL This link opens in a new window Ovid MEDLINE covers the international literature on biomedicine, including the allied health fields and the biological and physical sciences, humanities, and information science as they relate to medicine and health care. Information is indexed from approximately 5,400 journals published world-wide.
Embase This link opens in a new window Ovid database, covering biomedical and extensive amounts of pharmacological research dating back to 1974.
APA PsycINFO (1967 - present) This link opens in a new window APA PsycINFO is an electronic bibliographic database providing abstracts and citations to the scholarly literature in the psychological, social, behavioral, and health sciences. The database includes material of relevance to psychologists and professionals in related fields such as psychiatry, management, business, education, social science, neuroscience, law, medicine, and social work. Updated weekly, PsycINFO provides access to journal articles, books, chapters, and dissertations.
Web of Science Core Collection This link opens in a new window Access to citation databases, journals and conference proceedings with current and retrospective coverage in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Includes Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Conference Proceedings Citation Index and Emerging Sources Citation Index.
Scopus This link opens in a new window SCOPUS is the world's largest bibliographic and citation database. It covers nearly 20,000 academic journals from a wide range of subjects and dates from 1996 to the present. SCOPUS will also be the source of the citation data which will be used by some of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment panels. As well as carrying out literature searches, you can set up current awareness alerts, view citation counts, determine your h-index and assess the quality of journal titles. SCOPUS is part of the SciVerse suite of resources which is produced by Elsevier and includes the ScienceDirect electronic journals service.

Video runtime: 5 minutes 15 seconds

Using Ovid advanced search: a 6-and-a-bit minute guide

Video guide to using Ovid advanced search to include subject headings in searches. The video focuses on MEDLINE ALL, but the methods shown apply to other Ovid databases such as Embase and APA PsycINFO.

This video is aimed at researchers completing high-level searches such as scoping or systematic reviews, or those who simply wish to add extra rigour to their Ovid database searches.

Video runtime: 6 minutes 37 seconds

Searching PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar: a 5-and-a-bit minute guide

The short video below covers running quick but rigorous searches in the following free resources:

PubMed This link opens in a new window PubMed is a digital archive of life sciences journal literature, maintained by the US National Library of Medicine. Search this special version of PubMed instead of going directly to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed to link to full text of articles in journals subscribed to by QUB (denoted by presence of QConnect button).
Cochrane Library This link opens in a new window The Cochrane Library is a collection of six databases that contain different types of high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); Cochrane Methodology Register (CMR); Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE); Health Technology Assessment Database (HTA); NHS Economic Evaluation Database (EED).

Google Scholar Google search engine that finds academic articles, books, theses etc

Video runtime: 5 minutes 24 seconds