How To Guides (OPH): How to decide what database to use

Database

Subject Coverage and Indexing

CINAHL     Subscription database
Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature
Coverage: 1937- present
Platform: EBSCO

Nursing, Biomedicine, Alternative/Complementary Medicine, Consumer Health, Allied Health

Uses controlled vocabulary thesaurus - CINAHL Subject Headings

Embase     Subscription database
Coverage: 1974 – present
Publisher: Elsevier
Platform: Ovid

Biomedicine, Pharmacology, Psychiatry, Mental Health, Dentistry, Biotechnology, Health Policy and Management, Public, Occupational and Environmental Health, Nursing

Includes MEDLINE citations & conference proceedings

Uses controlled vocabulary thesaurus - Emtree

Ovid MEDLINE     Subscription database
Coverage: 1946 – present
Publisher: U.S. National Library of Medicine
Platform: Ovid

Biomedicine, Nursing, Psychiatry, Allied Health

It’s recommended that you use Ovid MEDLINE for complex searches as it allows for better search strategy manipulation than PubMed.

Uses controlled vocabulary thesaurus - Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

PubMed     Free database
Coverage: 1946 – present
Publisher: U.S. National Library of Medicine

(Use the link provided by SCGH Library to access library subscribed content)

Biomedicine, Nursing, Psychiatry, Allied Health

Provides free access to MEDLINE.

Excellent for quick searches. Advanced searching is more difficult.
It’s recommended that you use Ovid MEDLINE for complex searches as it allows for better search strategy manipulation.

Uses controlled vocabulary thesaurus - Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

PsycINFO     Subscription database 
Coverage: 1806 – present
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Platform: Ovid

Psychology, Psychiatry, Social Work, Speech Language & Hearing

Uses controlled vocabulary thesaurus - Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms

Cochrane Library
Free access in Australia
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Systematic Reviews, Clinical Trials

Includes the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Health Technology Assessment Database

Uses controlled vocabulary thesaurus - Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) in the Advanced Search

JBI EBP Database     Subscription database
Coverage: 1998 – present
Publisher: Joanna Briggs Institute
Platform: Ovid

Nursing and Allied Health Systematic Reviews

Includes the JBI Library of Systematic Reviews, Best Practice Information sheets, Evidence Summaries, Evidence Based Recommended Practices

Uses controlled vocabulary thesaurus - Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

PubMed Clinical Queries     Free database
Coverage: 1946 – present
Publisher: U.S. National Library of Medicine

Biomedicine, Nursing, Psychiatry, Allied Health

Uses 3 search filters to identify clinical studies, systematic reviews, medical genetics

Use the link provided by SCGH Library in order to access library subscribed content

Trip Database     Free clinical search engine
Creator: Jon Brassey

Medicine, Nursing, Psychiatry, Allied Health

Searches multiple resources to answer clinical questions

Create a login using your WA health email and select Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital under institution to access full text articles where available