Evidence Searching
Searching for relevant and reliable evidence can be a time-consuming and difficult task if you lack the appropriate skills, so why not let our experts help you? We can save you time and help you find the highest-quality evidence for your work.
- Evidence Searching Service: If you need to find evidence for your work at the Northern Care Alliance, whether for patient care, updating guidelines, a research article or presentation, we can do the searching for you. Simply complete our Evidence Search Request Form via the following link: Request an Evidence Search.
- Evidence Searching Training: If you're required to undertake a literature search as part of an assignment/coursework, or if you'd like to refresh your evidence searching skills, we can offer online training via Teams. Complete our Training Request Form via the following link and a member of the team will be in touch: Request Training.
- NHS Health Education England - How to search the literature effectively (OpenAthens login required)
- University of Manchester - Planning ahead: making your search work
Books (OpenAthens Login Required):
- Aveyard, H. (2018). Doing a literature review in health and social care: a practical guide. 4th ed. Maidenhead : Open University Press. A book covering each step of the literature review process.
- Kable et al. (2012). A structured approach to documenting a search strategy for publication: a 12 step guideline for authors. Nurse Education Today, 32(8), 878-886. An article with examples on how to write up a literature review and search strategy.
Database Searching:
- EBSCO (Includes MEDLINE, CINAHL, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection)
- NCA LKS EBSCO Searching Guide
- EBSCO Tutorials: Basic Searching Help / Advanced Searching Help / Webinar (April 2021)
- OVID (includes Embase, AMED, HMIC, MEDLINE)
- ProQuest (includes PsycINFO, BNI, PsycArticles, Health Research Premium Collection)
- NCA LKS Proquest Searching Guide
- ProQuest Tutorials: Basic Searching Help / Advanced Search Tips / Webinar (April 2021)
Critical Appraisal
To critically appraise research is to examine its trustworthiness, value and relevance in a particular context.
See below for online resources and tools to help you appraise evidence.
We're also able to offer critical appraisal training sessions, including training on levels of evidence, study types, bias and basic statistics. Please visit the following page to book a session: Training
Courses:
- Health Knowledge: Finding and Appraising the Evidence: A 6-module course taking you through the process of how to find the evidence and then how to assess the validity and reliability of the published research in order to provide effective and efficient healthcare
- FutureLearn: Critical Appraisal Techniques for Healthcare Literature: Free online course
Support:
- Introduction to Critical Appraisal (Video): Session delivered by LKS Information Specialist for the NCA Centre for Clinical Care Research
- Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP)
- Critical Appraisal: Notes and checklists from SIGN
- Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
- Making Sense of Health Research
- Critical Appriasal of an RCT using CASP checklist: A series of videos by Barts Health Knowledge and Library Services
- Critically Apprasising for Antiracism: Our Information Specialist Ramona delivers a talk on how racial inequalities can impact research, and how to identify racial bias when critically appraising.
- Critcally Appraising for Antiracism Supplementary Checklist: Intended to complement other appraisal tools.
Citing & Referencing
If you need help with citing & referencing, avoiding plagiarism and copyright infringement of images, our staff are more than happy to support you. Visit our training page to book a session with us, or email evidence@nca.nhs.uk with any questions.
Please see below for local university resources.
| Salford University | MMU | UoM |
| Edge Hill | University of Bolton |