Article Databases
The following databases have been selected due to their inclusion of occupational therapy topics, or other relevant material. Please note that many other databases are also available to assist you in your search:
- PubMed@USC This link opens in a new windowPubMed provides access to millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. This version is customized for USC users to find the full-text of articles.
- PubMed Clinical QueriesFilter that provides quick search results to Covid-19 and evidence based practice literature; i.e. clinical studies, systematic reviews, and guidelines. For comprehensive searches, use PubMed directly.
- CINAHL Complete This link opens in a new windowMost comprehensive database of full-text for nursing & allied health journals from 1937 to present. Includes access to scholarly journal articles, dissertations, magazines, pamphlets, evidence-based care sheets, books, and research instruments.
- Cochrane Database of Systematic ReviewsThe Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews provides access to full-text systematic reviews.
- Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database This link opens in a new windowEvidence-based practice database with a global focus. Find systematic reviews, protocols, recommended practices, evidence summaries, best practice and consumer information sheets, and technical Reports.
- ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health This link opens in a new windowThis database includes journals, video, dissertations, reference books and more.
- Social Sciences (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowSearches a number of ProQuest social science databases (including ERIC, GenderWatch, PsycInfo, and Sociological Abstracts).
- AnthroSource This link opens in a new windowProvides full text access to publications from the American Anthropological Association. Some coverage on medical anthropology and ethnoarchaeology. Good for sociocultural and linguistic anthropology.
- AGELINE This link opens in a new windowContent focus on social gerontology, which is the study of aging in psychological, health-related, social, and economic contexts. Includes abstracts of over 200 academic journals, books, book chapters, and dissertations from 1978 to present.
- National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) This link opens in a new windowLibrary of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Includes articles, reports, guides, and more. Includes international research previously searched via CIRRIE.
- OT Seeker This link opens in a new windowThis database contains abstracts of systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials relevant to occupational therapy. Trials have been critically appraised to assist with evaluation.
- PEDro: The Physiotherapy Evidence Database This link opens in a new windowThis database from the Centre for Evidence-Based Physiotherapy (CEBP) at the University of Sydney, Australia, provides access to evidence-based practice physical therapy literature. Most trials have been rated for quality. Includes trial evaluation tutorials.
- SPORTDiscus This link opens in a new windowComprehensive database for sports & sports medicine literature. Includes international literature, conference proceedings, audiovisuals and more. Coverage dates back to 1985.
- Embase This link opens in a new windowEmbase provides access to over more than 29 million citations for biomedical articles and conference proceedings. This version has been customized for USC users to find the full-text of articles from library holdings.
- Scopus This link opens in a new windowLarge abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature in science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities. Includes bibliometrics tools to track, analyze and visualize research.
- Web of Science This link opens in a new windowInterdisciplinary collection of journal articles, conference proceedings, and books. Collection of seven online database: Conference Proceedings Citation Index, Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Index Chemicus, Current Chemical Reactions, and Book Citation Index. Coverage is 1900-present.
- Dimensions This link opens in a new windowDimensions is a linked research data platform. Each of the data sources (publications, research funding, patents and clinical trials) – can be searched simultaneously, and are even linked together where relevant (you can see which paper came from which grant, for example. In some ways similar to other platforms you may have used such as Scopus or Web of Science, but with a much wider and more open scope, Dimensions is designed to help anyone involved in research to get better knowledge about what is going on in their research area, and how this is changing over time.
- Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HAPI) This link opens in a new windowLocate measurement instruments such as surveys, questionnaires, tests, surveys, coding schemes, checklists, rating scales, vignettes, etc. Scope includes medicine, nursing, public health , psychology, social work, communication, sociology, etc.
- ClinicalKey This link opens in a new windowOnline collection of ebooks, journals, guidelines, patient education handouts, drug monographs, images, and videos focusing on clinical health care. Includes MEDLINE full-text.
- TRIP Database This link opens in a new windowThis clinical search engine allows users to quickly find high-quality research evidence to support practice or care. It also searches for images, videos, and patient education handouts.
- What Works ClearinghouseEducational intervention reports and systematic reviews.
- ACP Journal Club (Annals of Internal Medicine )Previously a stand-alone journal, the ACP Journal Club has been incorporated as a section of Annals of Internal Medicine. It publishes critical reviews of other articles written by experts in the field- it's like having a journal club meeting.
Holdings: May 2008-present
- BioMed Central This link opens in a new windowA suite of peer-reviewed, open-access journals in all areas of the biological sciences, includes titles such as BMC Biology, BMC Medicine, Malaria and BMC Infectious Disease. Good for finding high-quality, open-access literature on a variety of topics.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowFiltered Google Search finding scholarly journal articles, books, citations, and case law.
Peer Review
- UlrichswebUlrichsweb will tell you if a journal is peer-reviewed (refereed). Type in the journal's name and look in the "Refereed" field. If marked "Yes," the journal is classified as peer-reviewed.
Find Other eJournals
- University of Southern California (USC) Electronic Journals (eJournals)Search or browse all (medical OR non-medical) electronic journals that are a part of USC Libraries' subscriptions
Guidelines
National Guideline Clearinghouse will no longer be available after July 16 2018. There is no replacement product with the scope and depth of NGC. Use one or more of these sources to identify and access full-text guidelines.
- CINAHL Complete This link opens in a new windowMost comprehensive database of full-text for nursing & allied health journals from 1937 to present. Includes access to scholarly journal articles, dissertations, magazines, pamphlets, evidence-based care sheets, books, and research instruments.
- ClinicalKey This link opens in a new windowOnline collection of ebooks, journals, guidelines, patient education handouts, drug monographs, images, and videos focusing on clinical health care. Includes MEDLINE full-text.
- Guidelines.co.uk This link opens in a new windowSummaries of guidelines and recommendations from United Kingdom governmental agencies and European and global professional groups. Includes links to full-text of guidelines. Registration is not required to access guidelines.
- National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) This link opens in a new windowGuidelines for United Kingdom (UK) National Health Services (NHS).
- PubMed@USC This link opens in a new windowPubMed provides access to millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. This version is customized for USC users to find the full-text of articles.
- TRIP Database This link opens in a new windowThis clinical search engine allows users to quickly find high-quality research evidence to support practice or care. It also searches for images, videos, and patient education handouts.
- UpToDate This link opens in a new windowAn evidence-based resource covering multiple medical specialties. Includes topic monographs, patient education, practice updates, drug interactions, guidelines, and medical calculators. To obtain CME, create a personal profile and log in.
Professional groups, non-profit organizations, and government agencies often develop guidelines and make them available freely on their websites. Search or browse groups like the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Veterans Health Administration, or U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Use Google to find additional groups focused on your specialty.
Qualitative Research Resources
- NVivo Software via USCNVivo is a qualitative data analysis (QDA) software package for working with text-based and/or multimedia information, where deep levels of analysis are required.
Content not owned by USC
Interlibrary loan (ILL) is USC Libraries' service that obtains books, dissertations, government documents, audio-visual resources, and other physical materials not owned or otherwise unavailable from USC.
- Recommend a Book or Journal for PurchaseUse the recommend a book request form to recommend a book or journal that is not in our collection.
Database Tutorials
- PubMed Basics BrochurePubMed handout preformatted for printing.
- My NCBI (PubMed)MyNCBI Tool in PubMed
See additional database searching tutorials here.