Health Research in Canada
- What is Health Research?Describes the four main pillars of health research in Canada: biomedical research, clinical research, health services research, and social, cultural, environmental, and population health research.
Source: Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 2022 - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Research SystemSource: Canadian Institutes for Health Research, 2023
Literature Searching
- The Learning Portal - Finding Evidence-based Information for Health SciencesThis hub will help you navigate the process of finding evidence-based health sciences information. It will help you plan and conduct your search of literature, use appropriate databases to find and evaluate information. You will also learn about Evidence-Based Practice and the hierarchy of evidence for clinical practice.
Reading Research: A User-friendly Guide for Health Professionals by Call Number: IAHS STACKS RT81.5 .D385 2018Publication Date: 2018
How to Read a Paper: The Basics of Evidence-Based Medicine by Call Number: IAHS STACKS R118.6 .G74 2014Publication Date: 2015
- Prepare to SearchThis page will help you get ready to search by developing an appropriate and useful search topic, determining what types of materials you need, and choosing the right databases to search.
Source: The Learning Portal - Resources for Evidence-Based Practice: Forming QuestionsOn this page, you'll find information on the different types of questions you might ask, along with templates and tools for question formation.
Source: McMaster University Health Sciences Library, 2024
- Start to SearchOn this page, you will discover strategies for conducting your search and accessing your results. You will also find out how to access the full text of articles and other sources you find in your search. See tutorials under Key Database tab for guidance on using specific databases.
Source: The Learning Portal
- MEDLINE (EBSCO)
Bibliographic health database. Covers life sciences, with a focus on biomedical information. Includes citations and abstracts for biomedical and health journals used by health care professionals, nurses, clinicians and researchers.
- CINAHL (EBSCO)
Health research database. Indexes the top nursing and allied health literature available including nursing journals and publications from the National League for Nursing and the American Nurses Association. Includes Medical Subject headings (MeSH).
- PubMed
Health database containing over 23 million citations for bio medical literature from MEDLINE, life sciences journals and eBooks.
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Excellent source for finding up to date systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare, as well as full text journals, editorials and supplements. Note: Limited to 12 concurrent users.
- Cochrane Database User GuideContains description of search fields, advanced searching, search tools and sample paper of a Cochrane review.
- Evaluating Health Information - MedlinePlusMedlinePlus is a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world's largest medical library, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- Evaluate Evidence - Health Sciences ResearchOn this page, you will learn how to determine whether or not you should use a particular source for your research assignment. You will also learn about Evidence-Based Practice and the hierarchy of evidence for clinical practice.
Source: The Learning Portal
- What is a systematic review?Introduction to Systematic Reviews in the Health Sciences
Source: Rutgers University Libraries, 2023
Systematic Reviews to Answer Health Care Questions by Publication Date: 2014A to Z guide to conducting thorough, comprehensive systematic reviews. By breaking down topics and essential steps, this volume teaches you how to form key questions, select evidence, and perform illuminating review.
Protocol Guidance
- PRISMA extension for Protocols
- Cochrane Handbook - Chapter 4
- Institute of Medicine – Standards for systematic reviews (section 2.6)
Source: Prisma, 2024
- Cochrane Database of Systematic ReviewsExcellent source for finding up to date systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare, as well as full text journals, editorials and supplements. Note: Limited to 12 concurrent users.
- Cochrane Database User GuideContains description of search fields, advanced searching, search tools and sample paper of a Cochrane review.
Conducting Health Research
Health Research Methods: a Canadian Perspective by Call Number: FENNELL RESERVES - 2 hour loan R850 .H43 2014Publication Date: 2014
Introduction to Research in the Health Sciences by Call Number: IAHS STACKS R850 .P52 2020Publication Date: 2020 Seventh EditionIncludes content on Quantitative and Qualitative Methods, Data Collection, Descriptive Statistics, Data Analysis and more.
- What is the Difference Between Qualitative & Quantitative Research?Source: McGill Qualitative Health Research Group, 2023
Qualitative Research in the Health Sciences by Publication Date: 2013This comprehensive text provides deeper knowledge and application of a wide range of methodologies, methods and processes, enabling readers to develop their qualitative research skills.
