LibGuides: Nursing Research Guide: Databases

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Search MU Libraries' collection, both print and electronic, with this web discovery tool. Enter terms below for a Summon Basic search or click the Summon Search link above to go directly to Advanced search.

What is a...?

Scholarly journal "A scholarly journal is different from a magazine or other periodical because it’s a respected forum in which scholars share their research. The articles in journals are usually peer-reviewed, and can be taken as legitimate scholarly knowledge."
Peer-reviewed journal "Peer Review is a process that journals use to ensure the articles they publish represent the best scholarship currently available. When an article is submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, the editors send it out to other scholars in the same field (the author's peers) to get their opinion on the quality of the scholarship, its relevance to the field, its appropriateness for the journal, etc."
Research article Research articles are most often published in scholarly journals and usually contain: • a summary or “abstract” • a description of the research • the results they got • the significance of the results.
Review article (Sometimes called "Research Review" articles) "are an attempt by one or more writers to sum up the current state of the research on a particular topic...[they] are virtual gold mines if you want to find out what the key articles are for a given topic."
Literature review Qualitatively summarizes evidence on a topic using informal or subjective methods to collect and interpret studies.
Systematic review (Also called a "systematic literature review"), is a type of literature review that focuses on a particular research question and tries to identify and synthesize all high quality research evidence relevant to that question.
Primary source Original research or materials that have not been filtered through interpretation or evaluation by a secondary party.
Secondary source Sources that contain commentary on or a discussion about a primary source. Analyzes and interprets research results or scientific discoveries.

Source material courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries.

Full Text & Citation Databases and Where to Find Them

MU online databases can provide references to and full-text articles in the subject areas of Nursing and Healthcare in a wide range of periodicals from news magazines and newspapers to scholarly and professional journals. See a list of the databases that are recommended for research in your field of study by clicking the following link: Nursing & Health Databases

If you are primarily interested in searching databases recommended specifically for "evidence-based practice," click on the Evidence-Based Practice tab above.

Full Text vs. Citation Databases - What's the difference?

Full text databases, provide citation information, (author, article title, periodical name, volume & issue, date, etc.) for articles, essays, book chapters, dissertations, and other materials. In addition, the complete source in HTML or PDF formats is also available in the database with an easy click of a button.

Citation (aka. index or bibliographic) databases provide citation information, but generally do not have the source available in full text.

However, don't be discouraged from using citation only databases. Most of the time, there is a link available to the full text outside of the database for an electronic or print copy that is accessible from or owned by MU Libraries. Or there is a link to request the item from another library for sources MU does not own. The link will take you to MU's Information Delivery Services (IDS) where you can log in and place the request.

Remember, if you have questions about choosing or using a database, please consult a librarian.

Evaluating Popular & Scholarly Articles

Not sure if you have a "popular" or a "scholarly" source? Or maybe just need a refresher? MU Libraries Evaluating Sources can help. Here you will find the basic differences between popular and scholarly articles reviewed.

Systematic vs. Literature Reviews

What's In a Name?: The Difference Between a Systematic Review and a Literature Review and Why It Matters
There is often confusion about the difference between systematic reviews and literature reviews. This document from Medical Librarian, Lynn Kysh, illustrates the differences.