Library databases give you access to credible, peer-reviewed sources that you won’t typically find through web searches or AI tools. They also let you search more precisely using keywords and filters. When used alongside AI, databases help you build stronger, more reliable research.
Before searching in library databases, take a moment to plan your keywords. Start by identifying the main concepts in your research question, then brainstorm related terms or synonyms for each one. For example, if you're researching how exercise affects mental health in college students, you might include terms like “physical activity,” “well-being,” or “university students.” A well-planned search helps you get more accurate and useful results.
Check out the video below for more guidance on developing keywords.
CINAHL Plus with Full Text provides indexing for 3,024 journals from the fields of nursing and allied health, with indexing back to 1937. CINAHL Plus with Full Text also contains searchable cited references for more than 1,160 journals and provides full text for hundreds of journals, plus legal cases, clinical innovations, critical paths, drug records, research instruments and clinical trials. PDF backfiles to 1937 are also included.
Coverage: 1937 - present
CINAHL Basics Tutorial
MEDLINE with full text (EBSCO) is a comprehensive source of full text for medical journals, providing full text for more than 1,370 journals indexed in MEDLINE. Of those, more than 1,340 have cover-to-cover indexing in MEDLINE. This wide-ranging file contains full text for many of the most used journals in the MEDLINE index - with no embargo. MEDLINE with Full Text is the definitive research tool for medical literature. Coverage: Full Text: 1965-present/ Citations:1800s-present
