Big 4 Databases: Pubmed, Embase, Web of Knowledge, Scopus

Isla KuhnReader Services Librarian, Medical Library

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY LIBRARYMEDICAL LIBRARY

PubMed/Medline – 5,200

Web of Science – 11,180

PubMed/Medline – 5,200

Web of Science – 11,180

Embase – 5,124

PubMed/Medline – 5,200

Web of Science – 11,180

Embase – 5,124

Scopus – 18,2451

PubMed/Medline – 5,200

441

6,669

1,116

1,5686,949

60

3,055

All different………

But lots of similarities…..

Pubmed Embase WoK Scopus

Years of coverage 1954 - present

1980 - present 1970 - present 1996 – to present

Subject headings Health & medicine

Health & medicine (pharmacology strength

Arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences

Arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences

Added bonus Subject headings

Subject headings

“H” index

Journal Impact factors;

Conference proceedings

“H” index;

Web & Patents search;

Journal analyzer

Lots of similarities…..

Pubmed Embase WoK Scopus

Password required? (RAVEN)

Complex search option (allowing for Boolean “and”/”or” searching

Subject headings

Save Searches

Alerts

Related articles

Citation tracking

Links to full-text

Export to endnote/refman etc

From topic to search

• Topic -> question -> keywords/synonyms

Mental health problems, particularly the eating disorders…..

……..”Is CBT effective for teenagers with eating disorders?”……….

…………………keywords???.... synonyms???........................

Themes?

Is CBT effective for teenagers with eating disorders?

P –problem / patient?

I – Intervention?

C – Comparison?

O – Outcome?

Synonyms?

From topic to search

Is CBT effective for teenagers with eating disorders?

1 – teenagers2 – CBT3 – eating disorders

From topic to search

Is CBT effective for teenagers with eating disorders?

1 – teenagers teens adolescents2 – CBT cognitive behaviour therapy cognitive behavior therapy3 – eating disorders anorexia bulimia

From topic to search

Boolean Logic

AND – to narrow the search by combining different topics

eg

“physiotherapy” and “stroke”

Both terms must be present in the results.

StrokePhysiotherapy

Boolean Logic

OR – to broaden your search, by combining similar terms

eg

“exercise” or “physical activity”

Either term can be present in the resulting set of articles.

Cerebral-vascular Accident

Stroke

Boolean Logic

NOT – to restrict your search so that it does not contain a particular term

eg

“physical therapy” not “manual therapy”

The first, but not the second, term must be present.

Manual Therapy

Physical Therapy

Is CBT effective for teenagers with eating disorders?

1 – teenagers OR teens OR adolescentsAND

2 – CBT OR cognitive behaviour therapy OR cognitive behavior therapy AND

3 – eating disorders OR anorexia OR bulimia

From topic to search

Access

http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/scienceportal/

– click relevant subject and open “subject resources”

- Pick embase, medline (pubmed), web of science and scopus

or

gateway.ovid.com/autologin.cgi

www.pubmed.gov

wok.mimas.ac.uk

www.scopus.com

Searching – Do’s & Don’ts

• Don’t try to do the whole search in one line

• Don’t imagine that your first attempt will get all the articles you need

• Don’t give up!

Searching – Do’s & Don’ts

• Do think of alternative ways of talking about your topic

• Do learn from your hits and your misses

• Do remember that you still have to critically appraise each article

• Do ask for help

Help!

Isla Kuhn

Reader Services Librarian

Medical Library

email: ilk21@cam.ac.uk

phone: (01223) 336750

web: library.medschl.cam.ac.uk

Thank you.