Finding empirical evidence: E searching,evaluating evidence

Searching for Evidence Research

Cochrane Library

• Search Trials Central - largest collection of RCT’s• Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR)

Can browse by topic or carry out an advanced search

Developed by US National Library of Medicine (NLM) this life sciences and biomedicine database uses specialist Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to index highly reputed medical journals.

Ability to map to MeSH search terms and to build up your search strategy with inbuilt Boolean operators.

A range of ways to refine and limit search results based on types of studies, cohort study groups and more.

MeSH topics and sub-topics provide a range of ways to focus in on very specific medical areas of research.

Developed by Elsevier, Embase aims to provide the widest possible coverage of biomedical literature incorporating many conferences and journal titles not covered by MEDLINE.

Ability to map to Emtree search index providing a comprehensive vocabulary to describe biomedical data.

Use of Ovid interface to build up your search strategy with inbuilt Boolean operators.

A range of ways to refine and limit search results based on types of studies, cohort study groups and more.

DoPHER – Health Promotion ReviewsTRoPHI – Trials for Health Promotion Interventions

Evidence for policy and practice information centre.

Your Search in OVID

Your turn – activity 4•View one of the short videos or guides about constructing a search in Medline, Embase or PsychInfo

• Build your search in Ovid for one of these databases, mapping to search terms and join concepts with AND,OR.

•Use the additional limits to limit your dates and select a specific type research evidence.

•Create a Ovid log-in and save your search and some of your search results to a personal folder.

Search Systematic Review Databases for Interventions

Have a go:

Search one of the sources•Cochrane•Medline •Embase•PsychInfo

Save searches and itemsShare with a neighbour

Search Databases Australian Context

Have a go:

Search one of the sources•AUSTHealth•Heath & Medical Complete•CINAHL Plus

Are they of relevance to your topic?Are any of the articles unique to Medline/Embase.

YouTube Link

Critical Analysis

–CASP – Critical Appraisal Tools Checklists –JBI – Critical Appraisal ToolsUse to evaluate different types of studies; RCT’s, Case control, cohort, diagnostic, systematic reviews etc.

–Cochrane Methodologies RegisterResearch focussed on an analysis of methodologies.

(Last update 2012)

CAT’s - Critical Analysis Tools

Contact the University Library

http://library.uwa.edu.au

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