About this page
In doing a comprehensive literature search, you will need to consult many different resources. The resources on this page include some of the essential databases to search, as well as some additional options for locating evidence.
- Essential Databases to Search
- Using Google Scholar
- Grey Literature
- Citation Tracing
Databases to Search
Essential Databases
Any literature search for a systematic review or dissertation should include comprehensive searches of the databases in the first set below:
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PubMed This link opens in a new windowArticles and citations from scholary journals on biomedical and health related scholarly journals. Years covered: 1946-present
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CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) This link opens in a new windowNursing and allied health journals.
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Cochrane Library This link opens in a new windowEvidence-based medical information, clinical trials, and systematic reviews on the effectiveness of healthcare interventions.
Additional Databases
Depending on your research question, there may be targeted subject databases that would be valuable. Below is a list of options at the Library or you can ask a librarian for assistance in choosing:
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Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new windowJournals, magazines, and newspapers in almost every subject area.
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Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowA subset of Google that searches academic material. Instructions on how to customize this to find materials owned by Pace University are available at this link: Google Scholar Link to Pace Full Text
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JSTOR This link opens in a new windowCitations or full-page images of back issues of scholarly journals, books, and primary sources covering a wide range of topics.
Years covered: 1860s-present -
ERIC (Institute of Education Sciences) This link opens in a new windowEducation related literature.
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PsycInfo This link opens in a new windowScholarly materials in psychology and behavioral science. 1887-present
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TRIP DatabaseA smart, fast tool to find high quality clinical research evidence.
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Worldcat.org This link opens in a new windowLocate books, journals and magazines, music scores, archival materials, and media in libraries worldwide.
Using Google Scholar + Pace
Often, Google Scholar will show the citation for an article, but the full text of the article is not available for free online.
You can use the Journal Finder feature but you can save time by configuring Google Scholar to directly link you if the full-text of articles is available from the Pace databases.
If we don't have the article available, you can also request it through InterLibrary Loan.
Citation Tracing Example
Can citation tracing be helpful to locating evidence?
Citation tracing is a search strategy that uses the bibliographies of resources that you have already located to look for relevant research.
This strategy is valuable because if you have already found a research article that provides valuable data or theory, there is a high chance that the articles they used to support their research may also benefit your scholarship.