Skip to main content

Need help with your literature search?

 Do you need to answer a question? 

When you need an answer to a healthcare question you need to find out what information already exists about it; so that you have the background information and latest research. Whether it is for an assignment, dissertation, research, audit or other work you need to complete a literature search to get the latest information and best evidence to answer your question. 

Complete a literature search plan 

How do you start your literature search? Start with a plan. Make a literature search plan to help you to focus your search, be systematic and keep a record in case you want to repeat it. 

How can the Health Library help you? 

Information Skills etutorials 

Develop your information searching skills by completing our short, engaging etutorials. Read presentations, complete quizzes and watch videos to learn the essential skills to finding information efficiently and effectively. 

Start off with our Introduction to Literature Searching etutorial. You’ll learn about the key steps to follow and get your own plan at the end. 

Here’s a quick overview of the skills you’ll develop: 


Training courses 

If you need more help, then book on a training course with one of our librarians. You can attend in person or online and join a group session or arrange a personalised, 1-to-1 session. Our experienced librarians will help you to create your plan and show you our popular databases. 

Literature Search Service 

NHS staff who struggle to find the time to complete their own literature searching can ask the library to do it for them! Our knowledgable literature searching team can complete a search on your behalf. You’ll get a report of articles matching your search criteria. 

Access Resources 

Are you ready to run your search? We list all the major resources that we subscribe to on our website. You’ll find links to the essential, specialist databases that you need. 

More help 

If you need any help finding or accessing information, please contact the Health Library for more support. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hot Topic! Prostate Cancer

 There has been some recent discussion around prostate cancer screening and whether it should be extended to a wider proportion of the populate, but… What do you know about prostate cancer? Check these resources for an overview, key points, diagnosis, treatment options, follow-up and more. [You will need your NHS OpenAthens username to access these resources] BMJ Best Practice – Prostate Cancer Clinical Key (available to UHNM only) – Prostate Cancer, Screening and Prevention Clinical Knowledge Summaries – Prostate Cancer Cochrane Library systematic reviews – How does dose‐escalated radiotherapy compare with conventional dose radiotherapy for men with localized prostate cancer? Oxford Medicine Online – Chapter 9 Prostate Cancer in Oxford Handbook of Urology Case 8 Localized Prostate Cancer in Challenging Cases in Urological Surgery Chapter 5 The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) in 50 studies every doctor should know: the...

Hot Topic! Sepsis

 Something that is always in the news - sepsis. What do you know about sepsis? Check these resources for an overview, key points, diagnosis, treatment options, follow-up and more. [You will need your NHS OpenAthens username to access these resources] Spotting the signs of sepsis from the Patient Safety Learning Hub A series of short videos to raise awareness of the signs of sepsis in different age groups. Produced by Patient Safety Learning, in collaboration with The UK Sepsis Trust, these provide a quick and simple resource for patients, carers and clinicians. BMJ Best Practice Sepsis in Children Sepsis in Adults Clinical Key (available to UHNM only) Sepsis Sepsis in Neonates Clinical Knowledge Summaries – Sepsis Cochrane Library systematic reviews – Corticosteroids for treating sepsis in children and adults Oxford Medicine Online Chapter 10 Sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction in Critical Care Nursing: science and practice Chapter 9 Postnatal care in Oxford Handbook of ...

Hot Topic! Cervical Cancer

  Period blood test could offer less invasive alternative to cervical screening reported the BBC in February. This interesting and less invasive test is still undergoing research. What do you know about cervical cancer? Check these resources for an overview, key points, diagnosis, treatment options, follow-up and more. [You will need your NHS OpenAthens username to access these resources] BMJ Best Practice – Cervical cancer - Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment | BMJ Best Practice ; Cervical cancer screening - Medical information | BMJ Best Practice Clinical Key (available to UHNM only) – Cervical Cancer - ClinicalKey ; Cervical Cancer, Survivorship - ClinicalKey Clinical Knowledge Summaries – Cervical screening | Health topics A to Z | CKS | NICE Cochrane Library systematic reviews – Effects of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programmes on community rates of HPV‐related disease and harms from vaccination - Henschke, N - 2025 | Cochrane Library Patient Inf...