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Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing: Searching the Literature

This guide provides principles and resources for using evidence-based practice research in nursing and medicine.

Where do I Search for Literature?

CINAHL Complete

  • Check the “Evidence-Based Practice” filter in the Limit Your Results box

Evidence-based practice limitation

  • Narrow down results to “Meta-analyses”, “Systematic Reviews”, or “Randomized Controlled Trials” in the Publication Type filter in the Limit Your Results box. 

​​​​​​​Publication types in CINAHL Complete

Cochrane Library

  • On the results page, choose the Cochrane Reviews tab to find Meta-analyses and Systematic Reviews.

   Cochrane Reviews Tab

  • On the results page, choose the Trials tab to find Randomized Controlled Trials, Cohort Studies, and Control Studies.
  • Look at our Cochrane PICO Search Beta tips on our PICO Research Questions Resource Guide.

PubMed

  • Add “AND meta-analysis”, “AND randomized controlled trial”, or “AND systematic[sb]” to find these types of articles. 

Search Box in PubMed

  • Click on the Clinical Queries link (under the Find heading) at the bottom of the homepage to limit your results to clinical studies or systematic reviews.

PubMed Clinical Queries