Looking for systematic reviews? Go straight to the Cochrane Library

What is it?

The Cochrane Library publishes analysis and reviews of research studies looking at the same problems, in order to combine the research to develop a consensus view. Reviewers perform a detailed systematic search of the literature to identify good quality studies to investigate and draw valid conclusions from. Their conclusions are published as a systematic review of the particular medical problem.

Systematic Reviews will give you an overview of the literature and current research on a topic.

How to Access…

Who is it for?

The Cochrane Library is freely available on the Internet within the UK, accessible to everyone.

Log in

No login is required.

Key Features

Databases

The Cochrane Library includes the following databases:

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews – full-text of reviews and protocols prepared by the Cochrane review Groups.
Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials – reports and bibliographic data of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials.
Cochrane Clinical Answers – easy-to-read short answers to clinical problems, to support clinical decision-making, based on systematic reviews.

Browse

You can browse through the available systematic reviews either by healthcare topic or by content produced by each Cochrane Review Group.

Search

You can use the simple search box to enter your search terms. Your results will be presented with a tab for each different type of content. You can use filter options to focus your search.

Presentation of example Search Results

Advanced Search

You can use the Advanced Search options to create a search strategy within the Search Manager. This allows you to develop individual search rows, use the thesaurus and combine searches.

Evidently Cochrane – the Cochrane Library Blog

Evidently Cochrane is a blog published by the Cochrane Library. Here you can find discussions about the latest systematic reviews on a range of healthcare topics. Topics are divided into categories, which also include Evidence for Everyday Midwifery and Evidence for Everyday Nursing. The blog is freely available online.

More Help

You can find more help on the using the Cochrane Library in the Online Guides and Support section of our website.

You might like to try our sway presentation Searching Cochrane Library for Systematic Reviews which includes videos.

Comments

Kortext eBooks - easy access to key ebooks

You can find information on a wide range of topics from the Kortext ebook collection, including non-clinical topics as well as nursing and medical textbooks. The ebook interface is easy to use. You can search for keywords, jump to different chapters or add your own notes. Special collections include ebooks for: Karger fast-facts Diversity and inclusion Primary care Psychological professions Wellbeing This collection is available to NHS staff via their NHS OpenAthens username. Link to the collection via the ebooks page on our website. Go to our ebooks help page to learn more about using ebooks or complete our tutorial - Using eBooks . Find more ebooks via Library Search or the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub. Just contact the Health Library for more help finding ebooks.

Login to Library Search – step-by-step instructions for NHS staff

Library Search is a discovery tool, allowing you to find items within the library collections. You can search Library Search without logging in to view books and ebooks available in our collections. By logging in to your library account on Library Search you can access a range of additional functionality, such as: Viewing details of your library account Submitting a request to hold a book for you Adding items to your e-bookshelf Saving searches Note that for NHS users logging in to Library Search does not give you access to full-text items. As an NHS member of staff you access online resources using your NHS OpenAthens username. Anatomy of a Library Card First let’s take a quick look at the most important components of your library card. Your library card and library card number give you access to print resources as well as library services. They confirm that you are a member of the library. Your name : this will be printed on your card, so you’ll know it’s yours!...

TRIP database - turning research into practice

The TRIP database is a user-friendly search engine making it easy for you to find high-level, good quality information and research. Focusing on healthcare evidence this database offers you the opportunity of completing simple searching as well PICO-based searching and allows you to focus results by content type. Some functionality is freely available without the need to login. You can "go pro" by logging in with your NHS OpenAthens username to access extra resources and functionality. You can link to the TRIP database from our NHS Resources page , where you'll find a list of key NHS-based resources and tools. For more help using the TRIP database go to our TRIP help page or check out the options on the site where blog posts are also available. Contact the Health Library for more information and help.

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