How to Search Evidence Based Medicine Reviews
Evidence Based Medicine Reviews (EBMR) is a group of full text databases which, unlike MEDLINE, are not searched by subject or keyword, but entirely free text. Any word in the entire document can be searched.
A typical document will show the title, reviewed source, commentary author, enhanced abstract, commentary/critique and references.
Authors are searched by last name and first initial (if known) only.
Tips from an expert
- Since there are no subject headings, you must search using the author's words (i.e. free text).Think of synonyms, British spellings, noun and adjective forms. Use the $ to truncate a word at it's root thus including any words which begin with that root. Search example: chronic obstructive lung disease or COPD or asthma$.
- From the limits, choose only one. You may repeat your search later choosing a different limit.
- Specific to the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, consider using the Browse Topic icon to review database contents on a general topic such as breast cancer or epilepsy.
For instructions in searching any of these EBMR databases, once you are in Ovid at the "Choose a Database" page, click on the informational
To learn more about evidence based medicine go to the Library's Evidence Based Medicine & Nursing Pathfinder
For additional help Ask a Librarian.
