1.   Run a database search in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, or another database as applicable.

•         For clinical medical topics, MEDLINE is recommended.
•         For nursing- and allied health-oriented topics, it is recommended that you search MEDLINE and CINAHL.  There will be some overlap between databases.  Nursing and rehabilitation are also covered in Social Science Citation Index (Web of Science).
•         For basic science topics, it is recommended that you search MEDLINE, Web of Science (Science Citation Index), and possibly AGRICOLA.
•         For business, finance, or administration, it is recommended that you search MEDLINE.
•       For education, ERIC, MEDLINE, and CINAHL are recommended.
•         Limit the search if needed.  Consider such limitations as:

            a.    English language.
            b.    Human.
            c.    Certain years.
            d.    Certain subsets, when available (i.e. Core Clinical Titles in PubMed,                        Local Holdings in Ovid, etc.)

2.   Choose the desired references from the list of references retrieved from the database(s) you searched.
MEDLINE and some CINAHL references
contain a number that the Library will need if the
article needs to be obtained from another library.  Be sure that the Unique Identifier (UI) or PubMed ID number is present.
There is no charge for printing out bibliographic references and/or abstracts.

3.    Identify articles that are locally available:
a.)   The typical journal article citation:                                          Wassell JT, Gardner LI, Landsittel DP, Johnston JJ, Johnston JM.  A prospective study of back belts for prevention of back pain and injury.JAMA.2000 Dec 6;284(21):2727-32. PMID: 12495395
Legend:
Author(s)
Article title
Journal title (official abbreviation)
Date
Volume and issue
Page numbers
PubMed Identifier
b.)    Search the Library's catalog by journal title for available print and electronic journals.  Microfilm holdings will also be noted there.  Pull any desired articles located in the Library.  As a general rule of thumb, web journals usually only go back no earlier than 1995. When using electronic journals, display/print PDF if that option is given. PDF documents require free Adobe Acrobat(R) Reader software.  You can download it here if it is not already on your PC. There is a charge of $0.20 per page for printing articles at Library computers.
c.)   Scan the list of journals held in the Research Building for journals that may be available there
d.)   Scan the various lists of links to free web journals.
4.    Order articles not available in the Library.
Students from local colleges should request articles via their own campus libraries.