Start a Research Project
- Library Research ChecklistCould you use a refresher on starting the library research process? Go to this page for a step-by-step description of the process.
- Search Strategy Checklist & TipsDefine the topic: know what you are looking for. Take the time to write down your topic and consider it from all angles. Try to be specific about what it is you want to discover about your topic (and more tips).
- Assignment CalculatorEnter in the due date for your research project (paper, speech, lab report) and get a suggested timeline for completing with links to the resources to help you succeed in each step.
Find Information (Articles/Books/Drugs & Supplements)
Primary article databases
Start with:
- E-Journals SearchUse to search for electronic magazines, newspapers and journals that the University Libraries provide online. Please also see our Electronic Journal Collections.
- Ovid MEDLINESearches MEDLINE, which is the primary source of journal articles for the health sciences (fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health, health care systems, and basic sciences). Ovid MEDLINE is optimized for advanced literature searches. Coverage is from the 1940s to the present.
- PubMedSearches MEDLINE, which is the primary source of journal articles for the health sciences (fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health, health care systems, and basic sciences). Coverage is from the 1940s to the present. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
- Embase / Embase ClassicEmbase is a biomedical and pharmacological database covering journal articles, conference proceedings, and gray literature. It is strong in its coverage of pharmaceutical research and international and non-English content. Covers 1947 to present.
- TRIP DatabaseTRIP allows you to search across a gamut of high evidence sources, such as guidelines, systematic reviews, and primary research.
- Web of ScienceA comprehensive interdisciplinary collection of journal article citations. Subjects generally covered are within science and technology, arts and humanities, and social sciences. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
- CINAHL Ultimate (Nursing & Allied Health)Covers nursing and allied health journal articles, book chapters, and dissertations, as well as providing summarized evidence-based resources such as care sheets and quick lessons.
- APA PsycInfoFind articles in thousands of psychology journals, from 1806 to current. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
Secondary Article Databases
Then try these:
- ScopusSearch for information from scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. Covers the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities.
- Google Scholar (Setup connection to get to PDFs)Use Google Scholar to find articles from academic publishers, professional societies, research institutes, and scholarly repositories from colleges and universities. If you are using from off-campus access, change the "Library Settings" to University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Look for the "FindIt@U of M Twin Cities" links in your Google Scholar search results to access full text and PDFs. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
Special Databases
Also consider these specialized resources:
- Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI)Find surveys, tests, observation checklists, and questionnaires used to assess health and behavior of infants, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Topics covered include public health, communication, psychology, management, nursing, organizational behavior, medicine, sociology, physical education, psychiatry, human resources, gerontology and dental medicine. Includes information about the test such as title, author, publication resource, reliability and validity. Note: One users can access at a time.
Books/Background Information
- Clinical KeyContains clinical content (clinical overviews, drug monographs, calculators, guidelines) to help diagnose conditions and support decision-making. Also contains extensive current textbook, video, and multimedia content to facilitate deep background research. Create a personal account to download PDF book chapters.
- Access MedicineElectronic book (E-Book) collection of core basic sciences and clinical titles.
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR)The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a classification of mental disorders with associated criteria designed to facilitate more reliable diagnoses of these disorders.
Drug & Supplement Information
- MICROMEDEXProvides access to drug information resources, including drug identification, packaging information, interaction and contraindication information, drug prices, international formulations, occupational safety sheets, safety in pregnancy, and more.
- Natmed Pro (previously titled Natural Medicines)Natural Medicines provides evidence-based information and ratings on over 90,000 dietary supplements, natural medicines, and integrative therapies. Includes these databases: Foods, Herbs, & Supplements; Health & Wellness; Sports Medicine; Comparative Effectiveness; Manufacturers; Commercial Products; and Medical Conditions.
Evidence-Based Practice and Point of Care Resources
- Clinical KeyContains clinical content (clinical overviews, drug monographs, calculators, guidelines) to help diagnose conditions and support decision-making. Also contains extensive current textbook, video, and multimedia content to facilitate deep background research. Create a personal account to download PDF book chapters.
- Cochrane LibraryThe Cochrane Library consists of a collection of regularly updated evidence-based health care databases. The Cochrane collection is designed to provide information and evidence to support health care decision-making.
- DynaMedAn evidence-based clinical decision support tool. Contains over 3,000 topic summaries covering diseases, disorders, diagnostics, and drugs with extensive references to journals and practice guidelines.
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)Systematically generated, evidence-based recommendations for clinical preventive services.
- VisualDxTool to build and visualize a differential diagnosis based on physical signs and symptoms, lab results, history, environmental exposure, and more. Contains a large medical image library, with special emphasis on dermatology for skin of color.
Visual Resources
- An@tomy.tvA detailed, interactive, 3D model of human anatomy with customized, downloadable images. Focuses on muscles, ligaments, nerves, veins, arteries, and bones. Includes features such as zoom, rotation, angle, layers, extensive text, MRI, clinical slides and xrays, movies, animations, radiology slides, dissection and surface anatomy videos and slides.
- Creative Commons SearchImages, videos, and documents with a Creative Commons license can typically be reused with needing to request permission or copyright clearance. When executing your search, check the appropriate boxes if you plan to use the content commercially or will be modifying it. Find out more about the licenses at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/.
- Bates' visual guide to physical examinationBates' Visual Guide delivers head-to-toe and systems-based physical examination techniques for the (Advanced) Assessment or Introduction to Clinical Medicine course. The site features more than 8 hours of video content.
- Nursing Education in VideoThe collection streams full videos, with searchable, synchronized transcripts, which can easily be embedded into online courses. Topics covered include clinical skills, exam skills, procedures, communication (including cross-cultural communication), ethical issues, legal issues, and much more.
Culturally appropriate health care
A person’s culture is multifaceted, and culturally appropriate care requires a holistic approach. Some important factors include religious fasting holidays, cultural views of mental illness, and family structures. Taken together, knowledge of these factors can support respectful conversations between providers and patients and enhance the health care experience.
- EthnoMedFind information about cultural beliefs, medical issues, and related topics pertinent to the health care of immigrants to the United States. Access relevant information through the Cultural Profiles, Clinical Topic, or the multilingual Patient Education categories.
- MedlinePlusMedlinePlus is a consumer health database that has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over hundreds of diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and dictionaries, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials.
Additional Sources & Patient Education
- MedlinePlusMedlinePlus is a consumer health database that has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over hundreds of diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and dictionaries, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials.
- MedlinePlus - Spanish versionMEDLINEplus has extensive information from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 590 diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and dictionaries, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials.
- KidsHealthKidsHealth contains patient information at the child, teen, and parent reading levels. Includes lesson plans and programs for teachers and early childhood educators.
- Mayo Clinic Patient Care and Health InformationPatient-level information from the Mayo Clinic on diseases and conditions, symptoms, tests and procedures, and drugs and supplements.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the 13 major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the health and safety of all Americans and for providing essential human services, especially for those people who are least able to help themselves.
- FDACenter for Drug Evaluation and Research
- Lab Tests Online"Lab Tests Online has been designed to help you, as a patient or caregiver, to better understand the many clinical lab tests that are part of routine care as well as diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of conditions and diseases. The site is the product of a collaboration of professional societies representing the lab community."
- Minnesota Department of HealthLinks to information about public health, health care and health statistics in Minnesota. Includes links to health alerts, directory of hospitals and nursing homes, birth and death certificates, health facility complaints, flu shot clinics, etc.
- Mobile Resources for Healthcare ProvidersLinks to app reviews, clinical apps, and health information resources that provide mobile interfaces.
- National Cancer InstituteThe National Cancer Institute coordinates the National Cancer Program, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs.
Manage Citations
Citation Style Guides
- AMA Citation Style GuideThis guide from the Texas A&M University Libraries gives formats and examples for common AMA citation types.
- Vancouver Citation Style GuideThis guide from the Monash University Library gives formats and examples for common resource types in Vancouver and other styles.
Citation Managers
- Citation Managers (e.g. Zotero, EndNote Online, etc.)Citation managers are software packages used to create personalized databases of citation information and notes. They allow you to: import and organize citation information from article indexes and other sources; save links to pdfs and other documents; format citations for your papers and bibliographies using APA and many other styles; and include your own notes.
Tutorials
- Tutorial: Literature Searching in Ovid MedlineLearn about literature searching in Ovid Medline including how to use MeSH headings and keywords, how to limit a search, how to find full text and how to save a search.
- Tutorial: Researching & writing a literature reviewUnderstand the purpose of a literature review and the procedure for conducting one.
USMLE/Test Prep
- BoardVitalsBoardVitals provides interactive and customizable question banks for USMLE Steps 1-3 and seven Shelf Exams covering Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Ob/Gyn, Psychiatry, and Surgery.
Health Sciences Library (East Bank)
- Health Sciences LibraryThe Health Sciences Library in Phillips-Wangensteen Building includes collections for medicine, nursing, public health, dentistry, pharmacy, basic sciences, and more.
Last Updated: Oct 2, 2024 5:09 PM
URL: https://libguides.umn.edu/medicine