Research Guides: Nursing Resources: Getting Started

Health Sciences & Biomedical Libraries

Key Article Databases

The following databases are the top recommended resources for locating nursing-related articles and studies. They can also be accessed from the Biomedical Libraries' homepage.

CINAHL Complete
This database is the best starting point for finding published articles relevant to nursing. CINAHL stands for the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature and is the largest and most in-depth nursing research database.

Tip: Use the Advanced Search page to limit your search results to Research Articles, Peer-Reviewed sources, or specific types of publications.
PubMed
PubMed is the freely accessible version of MEDLINE which indexes approximately 5,200 journals published in the U.S. and more than 80 other countries. Coverage includes all areas of healthcare, including nursing.

Tip: Use the Nursing Journals limit to narrow the scope of a PubMed search to articles most relevant to nurses.
- Run your search, then in the column on the left, click "Additional filters."
- You'll see a little popup window. Select "Journal."
- Select "Nursing journals" and click "Show."

Browse Nursing Journals

Staying Current with New Research

Staying on top of new research is a necessary part of the evidence-based practice. Take some of the pain out of this process by setting up automated alerts on topics of particular interest to you. You will receive notifications whenever new research in your area of interest is published.

CINAHL Search Alerts
To set up a search alert in CINAHL you need to first sign up for an EbscoHost account. Once your account is set up, you can save any CINAHL search to receive automatic email updates whenever new articles of interest become available.
Pubmed Search Alerts
To set up a Pumed search alert you need to first sign up for a My NCBI account. Once your account is set up, you have the option to receive automatic email updates for any of your saved searches.
Google Scholar Alterts
With alerts, Google Scholar will periodically email you new publications that match your search criteria. Google Scholar can also sent you alerts when articles of interest are cited.

Additional Databases

Cochrane Library
A collection of databases that contain different types of high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making, including access to Cochrane Reviews.
PsycINFO
The main index to the peer-reviewed literature for psychology and neuroscience. It indexes citations and summaries of journal articles, book chapters, books, and technical reports in the field of psychology and psychological aspects of related disciplines.

PsycTESTS
Produced by the American Psychological Association (APA), PsycTests serves as a repository for a growing selection of psychological tests and measures, including thousands of actual test instruments and test items that are available for immediate download and use in research and teaching.

Scopus
The largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature: scientific journals, books and conference proceedings
Web of Science
Citation database with multidisciplinary coverage of journals in the sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities. Indexes the journal literature and tracks article citation histories.