Below are recommended nursing databases, several representative scholarly nursing journals, and general tips for searching in databases. The search guidance includes information regarding the use of Boolean searches, the foundational methodology for constructing searches in research databases. To understand and differentiate types of literature relevant to research in nursing, please see the "Types of Nursing Literature" tab.
Keyword searching uses natural language and is an easy way to start a search. Rather than searching by full sentences, which will bog search engines down or return no results, using keywords enables you to strategically select relevant words for your search.
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Example Keyword Search:
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It can also be helpful to think about synonyms when you are using keywords to search. Do any of your keywords have common synonyms?
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Synonyms Example:
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Boolean operators combine search terms in specific ways to enhance your search precision.
| Operator | Function | Example |
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AND
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The Boolean Operator ‘and’ retrieves articles that contain ALL terms, which narrows the search |
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OR
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The Boolean Operator ‘or’ retrieves articles with either/any of the terms, which broadens the search |  |
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NOT
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The Boolean Operator ‘not’ eliminates articles that have this term, which narrows the search |  |
Images: Cecelia Vetter, CC BY-SA 4.0. via Wikimedia Commons
| Boolean Operators in Action (in CINAL Plus Database) |
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Truncation makes it easy to search for all the variations of a common root word. Simply leave the part of the word all the variations have in common and replace the endings of the word with an asterisk (*).
| Root Word | Variations | Truncated Search Term |
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Nurse
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nurse, nursing, nurses | nurs* |
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Integrate
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integration, integrating, integrative | integrat* |
Subject Searching uses the controlled vocabulary of a database to conduct a conceptually precise search. A controlled vocabulary is a standardized hierarchy of ideas used to describe the subject matter of items in a database.
One useful strategy is to begin a search using keywords. Once you find an item that is useful to your research, you can then use the subject terms assigned to that item to build a more precise search.
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Keyword Search
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Subject Terms in Useful Results
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