Articles & Databases
Medical Literature at Your Fingertips
The library’s research databases enable you to find articles, electronic books, reports, images, and more.
The content of each database varies:
- Some materials are full-text, but some are not.
- Some materials are scholarly whereas some are popular.
- Some databases cover almost every topic while others focus on a specific area.
Any title marked with is from the open web. Other databases are restricted to NWOSU students, faculty, and staff.
Search the Library Catalog
Instantly Search Health-Related Databases
Using CINAHL and MeSH Headings
This tutorial from EBSCO will introduce you to the systems of subject headings used in the CINAHL and MEDLINE databases.
- How to Use CINAHL with Full Text (PDF)
The features and uses of CINAHL.
- CINAHL Scavenger Hunt (PDF)
Train yourself to use the CINAHL database by completing the challenges in this document.
Databases by Subject: Nursing
Although not necessarily an exhaustive list, the following databases are relevant to the subject of Nursing:
Multidisciplinary Databases
- Academic Search Complete
- Why search here? This database contains peer-reviewed articles on almost every academic subject.
- What’s included? Content includes over 5,000 full-text journals and over 200 full-text magazines, as well as full-text monographs and conference proceedings. Additional content includes citations and abstracts for many more journals and other publications.
- Applied Science & Technology Source
- Why search here? This database contains wide-ranging, full-text coverage of applied science and technology, including computer science, engineering, and aeronautics. Many resources also discuss the business and social implications of emerging technologies.
- What’s included? Contents include trade journals and conference proceedings in addition to peer-reviewed journals. These resources cover engineering as well as business and social-science research related to technology.
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Why search here? This open-access database contains a wide array of peer-reviewed journals on almost every subject.
- What’s included? The DOAJ contains over 20,000 full-text, open-access journals.
- ScienceDirect Open Access
- Why search here? This collection of open-access journals covers almost every subject.
- What’s included? Included are over 1,300 peer-reviewed journals and books published by Elsevier.
- JSTOR
- Why search here? JSTOR is a large, full-text database covering a wide range of academic subjects, including biology, history, law, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, political science, psychology, social science, and social work.
- What’s included? JSTOR contains the full text of thousands of journals, and its collections are especially strong for older or historic journals.
- Professional Development Collection
- Why search here? This is one of the most important databases for the Division of Education. It includes full-text, peer-reviewed journals and educational reports.
- What’s included? Contents include over 200 full-text journals, 200 educational reports, and citations and abstracts for an additional 750 journals.
- Retraction Watch
- Why search here? Retraction Watch is a database of peer-reviewed articles that have been retracted because of plagiarism, fraud, or error. It also indexes articles about which “expressions of concern” have been made—that is, concerns that may eventually lead to retractions. This database can assist students in avoiding poor research.
- What’s included? The database contains thousands of entries. Each entry includes title, place of publication, author, reason for retraction, and other relevant information.
Study Materials
- Mometrix eLibrary
- Why search here? Mometrix eLibrary is a collection of up-to-date test preparation materials.
- What’s included? This database contains study materials for the following exams:
- ACT
- ASWB
- CNA
- GMAT
- GRE
- LSAT
- MAT
- MCAT
- NCLEX
- OAT
- OGET
- OPTE
- OSAT
- PCAT
Nursing & Medical Databases
- CDC WONDER
- Why search here? This resource from CDC is vital for epidemiologic research and health statistics.
- What’s included? This system contains current health information, including statistics, reference materials, reports, and health guidelines.
- CINAHL with Full Text
- Why search here? This is one of our most important and exhaustive nursing databases.
- What’s included? It contains 603 full-text journals and citations for over 3,000 more. Books, dissertations, and conference proceedings are also included.
- Health Source: Nursing / Academic Edition
- Why search here? Health Source: Nursing / Academic Edition contains a collection of peer-reviewed journals that supplement our other nursing databases.
- What’s included? The database contains almost 550 full-text journals, with citations and abstracts for an additional 850 journals.
- MEDLINE
- Why search here? This is one of the oldest and most important electronic databases for medicine and nursing.
- What’s included? It indexes over 5,000 peer-reviewed medical journals.
- National Center for Health Statistics
- Why search here? The National Center for Health Statistics provides health-related statistics for the United States. Topics include morbidity, mortality, health status, risk factors, and healthcare use.
- What’s included? Resources include reports, data briefs, and data files.
- Nursing Journals
- Why search here? We subscribe to seven nursing journals that are unavailable in any other database. Those seven journals can be accessed here and are essential to the Division of Nursing.
- What’s included? The seven journals are:
- PubMed
- Why search here? PubMed is a massive database of peer-reviewed journals and books related to medicine, nursing, biology, and the life sciences.
- What’s included? This is a database of abstracts and citations, though it links to full text when available. Much of its content is duplicated in MEDLINE, Bookshelf, and Pubmed Central.
- PubMed Central
- Why search here? This full-text database contains peer-reviewed journals dedicated to medicine, biology, and life science.
- What’s included? The database contains over nine million peer-reviewed articles and preprints. Articles date from the late 1700s to the present.
Medicine & Intervention
- NIHR Centre for Reviews and Dissemination
- Why search here? This web resource contains three databases of systematic reviews, economic evaluations of healthcare interventions, and health technology assessments.
- What’s included? These databases contain over 35,000 systematic reviews, 17,000 economic evaluations, and 15,000 summaries of health technology assessments.
Cochrane Controlled Trials & Reviews
- Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials
- Why search here? This database contains extensive, detailed citations of controlled medical trials. These data form the basis of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
- What’s included? In addition to a vast array of journal citations, the Register includes reports not indexed in any other database.
- Cochrane Clinical Answers
- Why search here? The Clinical Answers are short, readable summaries of best medical practices. They may help you discover systematic reviews relevant to your research.
- What’s included? Each Clinical Answer is a distillation of the more exhaustive information found in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Each contains a clinical question, a short answer, and relevant data.
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Why search here? Systematic reviews are exhaustive meta-studies that arrive at best medical practices based on available research. This is a vital database for the Division of Nursing.
- What’s included? Over 4,800 full-text reviews are included. The database updates quarterly, and reviews are sometimes altered when new information becomes available.
- Cochrane Methodology Register
- Why search here? This is a bibliographic database of peer-reviewed articles focused on medical research methodology.
- What’s included? Sources include journal articles, books, and conference proceedings pulled from MEDLINE and supplemented with additional searches.
Mental Health & Psychometrics
- APA PsycArticles
- Why search here? This is our most important database for peer-reviewed literature in psychology.
- What’s included? APA PsycArticles includes almost 120 full-text journals from the American Psychological Association and related organizations. Most journals’ entire runs are included, from their first issues to the present.
- Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print
- Why search here? The Mental Measurements Yearbook contains descriptions and reviews of commercially available psychometric tests used in education, business, and psychology. Although potentially useful to all students whose field of research involves mental tests, this database is particularly important for graduate students planning their own research projects.
- What’s included? The Mental Measurements Yearbook annually produces extensive descriptions of new testing instruments with reviews by subject experts. Tests in Print maintains a bibliography of all testing instruments currently available in English.
- Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection
- Why search here? This is one of the most important databases for psychology and is also relevant to nursing, education, the social sciences, and social work.
- What’s included? The database includes over 300 full-text journals with indexing and abstracts for almost 300 more.
Databases for Patients & Consumers
- Consumer Health Complete
- Why search here? Aimed at the patient rather than the nurse or physician, this database offers a wealth of information to supplement our nursing databases or assist the lay user.
- What’s included? This database includes full-text resources on a wide range of health topics, including alternative medicine. It also includes a medical dictionary, explanatory videos, and the Lexi-PAL Drug Guide, which contains up-to-date pharmaceutical information for patients.
- Consumer Health Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This collection of reference texts supplements Consumer Health Complete.
- What’s included? The collection includes almost 370 full-text, health-related reference works aimed at the general reader.
- Health Source: Consumer Edition
- Why search here? This database provides thorough coverage of health topics, aimed at patients rather than health professionals.
- What’s included? The database contains over eighty full-text health magazines, a thousand pamphlets, 130 reference books, drug monographs, and a medical dictionary.
eBooks & Reference Works
- Directory of Open Access Books
- Why search here? The Directory of Open Access Books contains freely available, peer-reviewed academic eBooks on a variety of subjects.
- What’s included? The Directory’s content is eclectic and covers a wide range of academic subjects.
- eBook Academic Collection
- Why search here? This database contains most of the library’s academic eBooks. It is also searchable through our catalog system.
- What’s included? This collection contains over 240,000 eBooks covering a wide range of academic subjects.
- eBook Collection
- Why search here? This is EBSCO’s eBook portal, which has its own unique interface. This collection is also searchable through our catalog system.
- What’s included? All of the eBooks we receive from EBSCO are included here.
- MAS Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements MAS Complete. Although intended for high school students, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Over 370 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference collection supplements MasterFILE Complete. Although intended for public libraries, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Almost 780 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- NCBI Bookshelf
- Why search here? This online book repository, managed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, contains searchable full-text eBooks on biology, health, medicine, and the life sciences.
- What’s included? The repository contains over 1,000 scholarly books and almost 10,000 reports, as well as other resources.
Theses & Dissertations
- EBSCO Open Dissertations
- Why search here? This open-access database can direct you to the full text of theses and doctoral dissertations on almost any subject.
- What’s included? This collection contains over one and a half million dissertations from 320 universities worldwide.
- Open Access Theses and Dissertations
- Why search here? This database links to full-text graduate theses and doctoral dissertations on every academic subject.
- What’s included? The database includes over seven million theses and dissertations from over 1,100 institutions.