LibGuides: * Nursing Resources: Articles, Journals & Databases

Medical Subject (MeSH) Terms

MeSH is the U.S. National Library of Medicine's controlled vocabulary used for indexing articles for MEDLINE/PubMed. MeSH terminology provides a consistent way to retrieve information that may use different terminology for the same concepts. MeSH subject headings are used in the OhioLINK Book Catalog and in the PubMed and Medline article databases.

If you do not know a specific heading to search, you may find it more helpful to start with a Keyword search, or use the NLM MeSH Browser to explore available headings.

Learn More about MESH
Taking a few moments to learn about the MESH vocabulary may save time when you begin to search for medical information.
MeSH Browser
Use the MeSH Browser to find an appropriate MeSH search term.

The MeSH Browser provides an excellent means for searching MeSH to find an appropriate Descriptor. For example, if you are interested in "SARS" [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome], a search of the MeSH Browser will retrieve all MeSH terms containing the text word "sars", including synonyms and other entry terms. In this example, the user will see SARSVirus on the list, which will have additional information.

PubMed or MEDLINE?

What's the Difference Between MEDLINE^®, PubMed^®and PubMed Central?

PubMed is the freely accessible online database of biomedical journal citations and abstracts created by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM®).
PubMed Central is an archive of the full-text biomedical journal papers available online without a fee.
MEDLINE is one part of PubMed. Approximately 5,400 journals published in the United States and more than 80 other countries have been selected and are currently indexed for MEDLINE. A distinctive feature of MEDLINE is that the records are indexed with NLM's controlled vocabulary, the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®).

In addition to MEDLINE citations, PubMed also contains:

In-process citations which provide a record for an article before it is indexed with MeSH and added to MEDLINE or converted to out-of-scope status.

Citations that precede the date that a journal was selected for MEDLINE indexing (when supplied electronically by the publisher).

Some OLDMEDLINE citations that have not yet been updated with current vocabulary and converted to MEDLINE status.

Citations to articles that are out-of-scope (e.g., covering plate tectonics or astrophysics) from certain MEDLINE journals, primarily general science and general chemistry journals, for which the life sciences articles are indexed with MeSH for MEDLINE.

Citations to some additional life science journals that submit full text to PubMedCentral® and receive a qualitative review by NLM.

Citations to author manuscripts of articles published by NIH-funded researchers.

Citations for a subset of books available on the NCBI Bookshelf (a citation for both the book and each chapter or section of the book).

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Medical Image Databases

WebPath Internet Pathology Laboratory
From University of Utah this source includes over 1900 images along with text, tutorials, laboratory exercises, and examination items .
Atlas of the Body
Simple anatomy and medical illustrations from the Americam Medical Association.
Public Health Image Library

Nursing Databases

CINAHL Plus with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive nursing and allied health research database, providing full text for more than 770 journals and indexing for more than 4,600 journals.

Some full-text coverage dates back to 1937. Total number of records is approximately three million. Also provides offers access to health care books, nursing dissertations, selected conference proceedings, standards of practice, educational software, audiovisuals, and book chapters. Dates covered: 1960s-present (plus some older content) Included in OneSearch
Health Source Nursing / Academic Edition This link opens in a new window
Provides nearly 550 full-text scholarly journals focusing on numerous medical disciplines but with especial emphasis on nursing and allied health.

Contains 400+ full-text peer-reviewed journals and 800+ abstracted and indexed journals. Also includes Lexi-PAL Drug Guide, with its coverage of 1,300 generic drug patient information sheets and 4,700+ brand names. Dates covered: 1970s-present (plus some older content). Included in OneSearch.

Medical Databases

Medline with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive source of full text for medical journals, offering authoritative medical information on medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, pre-clinical sciences, and much more.

Provides full text for 1,470 journals and citations from 4,800+ additional journals. Some coverage dates back as far as 1949. Databases uses MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) indexing with tree, tree hierarchy, subheadings, and explosion capabilities. Dates covered: 1965-present (plus some older content) Included in OneSearch
PubMed This link opens in a new window
Contains more than 20 million citations for biomedical publications in the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, health care systems, and preclinical sciences.

Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. Dates covered: 1800s-present. This public resource is not included in OneSearch

Consumer Health and Alternative Health

Consumer Health Complete This link opens in a new window
A resource for consumer-oriented health content, designed to support the information needs of patients, and to foster an overall understanding of health-related topics.

CHC provides content covering all areas of health and wellness from mainstream medicine to the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated medicine. Includes full text for 250 health reference books and encyclopedias. Inclulded in OneSearch
Health Source Consumer Edition This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to nearly 80 consumer health magazines as well as health-related pamphlets, nearly 130 health reference books, and 9,900 clinical reports (also in Spanish).

Also contains Lexi-PAL Drug Guide, covering 1,300 generic drug patient information sheets with 4,700+ brand names. Dates covered: 1984-present. Included in OneSearch
ALT Healthwatch This link opens in a new window
Focuses on the many perspectives of complementary, holistic, and integrated approaches to health care and wellness.

Offers full-text articles for more than 180 international, and often peer-reviewed, journals and reports. Also contains hundreds of pamphlets, booklets, special reports, original research, and book excerpts. Subject areas include acupuncture, aromatherapy, body work, childbirth, Chinese medicine, chiropractic, creative therapies, cross-cultural therapies, energy medicine, herbalism, homeopathy, mind-body medicine, naturopathy, nutrition, and osteopathy. Dates covered: 1984-present/ Included in OneSearch
Natural & Alternative Treatments This link opens in a new window
Alternative medicine database designed specifically for the consumer health researcher.

Contains more than 700 evidence-based articles covering medical conditions, alternative therapies, herbs and supplements, functional foods, drug interactions, and homeopathy. Articles are based on double-blind, placebo-controlled studies and other forms of meaningful scientific evidence. 12,000+ such studies are cited in the material, with new studies are added regularly. Content also available in Spanish. Updated weekly. This database is not included in OneSearch

Multi-disciplinary Databases

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Academic Search Complete, designed specifically for academic institutions, is the world's most comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 5,300 full-text periodicals, including 4,400 peer-reviewed journals.

In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 9,300 journals and a total of 10,900 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc.

Coverage Dates: 1984 -
Academic Search Complete is included in OneSearch
Electronic Journal Center (OhioLINK) This link opens in a new window
Includes full text of more than 7,000 research journals

Coverage spans the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Many of the library research databases contain citations linking to full-text articles in the EJC. Dates covered: 1800s-present. Included in OneSearch

Psychology Databases

APA Psycinfo This link opens in a new window
Contains over 3 million records devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral sciences and mental health.

Includes abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations. Journal coverage includes international material selected from over 2,500 periodicals in dozens of languages. Dates covered: 1920s-present (plus some older content) Included in OneSearch
Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection This link opens in a new window
Psychology database containing full text from 400 journals, with total journal/magazine coverage exceeding 560.

Provides information concerning topics in emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry, psychology, mental processes, and observational and experimental methods. Dates covered: 1970s-present (plus some older content). Included in OneSearch

Related Databases

AHFS Consumer Medication Information This link opens in a new window
Provides over 1,000 drug information monographs written in lay language for consumers.

Includes Spanish translations. Conforms to Dept. of Health and Human Services and FDA guidelines for provision of consumer information. Updated monthly. Produced by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. AHFS is not included in OneSearch.
MedicLatina This link opens in a new window
Unique collection of medical research and investigatory journals from renowned Latin American and Spanish publishers.

Contains the complete table of contents and full text for 130 peer-reviewed medical journals in Spanish. Subject areas include neuroscience, cardiology, nephrology, biomedicine, clinical research, pediatrics, human reproduction, clinical pathology, cancer research, and hematology. Dates covered: 1995-present. Included in OneSearch
Science Reference Center This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive research database that provides easy access to a multitude of full-text science-oriented content.

Science Reference Center contains full text for hundreds of science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals, and other sources. Topics covered include biology, chemistry, earth & space science, environmental science, health & medicine, history of science, life science, physics, science & society, science as inquiry, scientists, technology and wildlife. Science Reference Center also satisfies the demand for standards-based content by providing teachers and librarians with articles correlated to state and national curriculum standards. Included in OneSearch
SocIndex with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive and high quality sociology research database.

Includes over 2.1 million records, providing full text for 860+ journals (dating back to 1908), 830+ books/monographs, and 16,800+ conference papers. Abstracts more than 1,300 core journals as well as 3,350+ additional journals. Encompasses all sub-disciplines and closely related areas of sociology, including: abortion, criminology and criminal justice violence; demography; ethnic and racial studies; gender studies; marriage and family; substance abuse and other addictions; rural and urban sociology; social development social structure; social work; sociological research and theory; and many others. Also features over 25,000 author profiles per the most prolific, most cited, and most frequently searched-for authors in the database. Dates covered: 1903-present. Included in OneSearch
Sociological Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides coverage of more than 500 full-text journals, including nearly 500 peer-reviewed titles.

Covers all areas of sociology, including social behavior, human tendencies, interaction, relationships, community development, culture, and social structure. Dates covered: 1930-present. Included in OneSearch

Database Tutorials

CINAHL Tutorial (EBSCO brand database)
Many of the tips and strategies in this tutorial also apply to the Health Source Nursing and other EBSCO databases.
PubMed Tutorial: Simple Search
PubMed is the freely accessible online database of biomedical journal citations and abstracts created by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM®).
PubMed Tutorial: Medical Subject (MeSH) Search
MeSH is the U.S. National Library of Medicine's controlled vocabulary used for indexing articles for PubMed & Medline. Use this tutorial to learn how to make the most use of Subject terms when searching PubMed.

Subject Search or Keyword Search?

Subject Search or Keyword Search

Interlibrary Loan Articles

We offer free interlibrary loan service for articles that are not available through our databases. Interlibrary loan articles will be emailed to your Ashland account. Please allow 1-7 days for delivery.

Interlibrary Loan Requests

What is a library database?

What is a library database?

· Library databases are the BEST way to find quality, scholarly articles from journals. Libraries subscribe to article databases so that you don't need to pay for articles as you would for articles you might discover with a Google search.

· A library database is an online resource that the library subscribes to that indexes articles from print sources such as magazines and journals. Each separate database includes different articles from a different set of journals, although there may be some overlap of articles included in some databases. In order to do a comprehensive search on a topic, you will most likely need to perform searches in several databases.

· In a library article database you can search through thousands of different journals, magazines, and newspapers to find articles on a particular topic.

· Even though a database is online, it is not considered an internet source.

· Library databases are searchable by keyword or by subject terms (precise terms determined by the database).

· Some of the database articles are available in Full Text, while others only include an abastract (summary). When you search for a topic in a database, the resulting list of article citations will show if each article is available full-text in either HTML or PDF format.

· Don't forget to click on Find It indicates if the print journal is available in the AU library and it may provide a highlighted link that leads you to the full text of the article in a different database. Find It also provides assistance in reformatting the citation APA or MLA style.

· EBSCO is NOT the name of a database. It is the name of one of our many database service providers. AU Library subscribes to 62 EBSCO brand databases, including the nursing databases CINAHL and Health Source Nursing.

* Nursing Resources: Articles, Journals & Databases