There is increasing use of research-based resources in the health care fields. Evidence-based healthcare practice relies upon research-based resources, and many academic programs at the University emphasize the use of research materials by students.
In CINAHL, you can limit a search to research. First, search for the topic of interest. Then, on the Refine Search tab, select research from the Publications Type drop-down menu.
For other databases, such as MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Science Citation Index, there is no way to limit only to research materials. Use a record's title, abstract, and subject headings to determine if it is research. Look for such things as:
- a structured abstract
- mention in the abstract of research terms such as statistical significance, response rate, sampling, test statistics, etc.
- subject headings that deal with research design, such as pretest-posttest design, or statistical tests, like chi-square analysis or analysis of variance
- publication types like clinical trial, meta-analysis, systematic review
Some databases, such as Dissertation Abstracts International, contains only research-based material. See Finding Dissertations and Theses for more information.
Evidence-based practice resources, such as the Cochrane Collaboration and practice guidelines are based in research as well.
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