Databases are collections of resources such as journal articles and conference papers, and also sometimes book chapters and reports. If you are doing a literature search or systematic review they are a key resource to use.
There are two main kinds of database:
Use the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub to find journal articles, e-books trusted decision making tools and more. When searching using the Knowledge and Library Hub you will find links to the full text of articles when you look at your search results. If there is no link then you should see if it is available through the University of Oxford via e-Journals A-Z (you will need to be in a Bodleian Library).
For complex, robust and reproducible searches – including for systematic review and informing research – use the native interfaces EBSCO, Ovid and ProQuest for bibliographic databases such as Medline, Embase and CINAHL. These are accessible with your NHS OpenAthens account so you do not need to be in the library to use them.
For a walk-through of how each interface works, see our PDF guides below:
Here are links to further, video-format, training guides:
EBSCO Interface
Ovid Interface
ProQuest Interface
Different databases are tailored to provide coverage of particular aspects of healthcare or disciplines.
Below are some suggested databases.
You can access these databases via the original supplier interfaces by logging in with your OpenAthens account username and password when prompted.
The following guides contain useful information and tips on how to conduct a database search.