Research Guides: Evidence Synthesis: 2. Select Databases

Selecting Databases

Librarians can recommend databases to search for your evidence synthesis; the databases you choose will depend on your research question and the disciplines in which relevant research may be conducted. Below is some guidance for choosing scholarly databases in a number of research areas. Check UHM's Databases A-Z for a full list of available sources across all disciplines.

Every database works differently. Librarians can help with designing complex searches using the specialized syntax of individual databases and 'translate' searches between databases. See the Write a Search Strategy tab or Translate Search Strategies tab for more information, and consult with a librarian if you have any questions.

Note that these databases largely focus on the published, peer-reviewed literature. For guidance and resources for searching other types of information (i.e., gray literature), see the Select Grey Literature Sources tab in this guide.

Databases for Scholarly Literature

Web of Science
Multidisciplinary index covering the journal literature of the sciences (Science Citation Index Expanded) as well as both the Social Sciences Citation Index and the Arts & Humanities Citation Index. Approximately 70% of the records have author abstracts. Online coverage from 1900 to present.

PubMed Medline
For more help: Getting the Most out of PubMed Medline
Trip Database
CINAHL with Full Text
For more help: Getting the Most out of CINAHL
CABI Digital Library (CAB Abstracts)
Agriculture and allied fields, including rural tourism development and world agricultural economics. Corresponds to the 50 printed abstract journals published by CABI. Over 10,000 journals, monographs, conference proceedings, theses, technical reports, patents from over 100 countries. Running a search in CABI Digital Library will search Tropical Diseases Bulletin in addition to CAB Abstracts.

World Health Organization Covid-19 Global literature on coronavirus disease

Epistemonikos
Epistemonikos is an evidence library for those making decisions in health care and health policy.
3iE (International Initiative for Impact Evaluations) Database
3iE is an international evidence hub for policymakers and researchers looking for evidence on what works, what doesn’t, and why in agriculture, fishing, forestry, education, energy and extractives.
Health Systems Evidence (Under Renovations)
Health Systems Evidence is a "free access point for evidence to support policy makers, stakeholders and researchers interested in how to strengthen or reform health systems."
EVIPNet
EVIPNet is a WHO resource that "promotes the systematic use of health research evidence in policy-making" with a focus on low and middle-income countries.
PDQ-Evidence (Last Updated July 2022)
PDQ(“pretty darn quick”)-Evidence facilitates rapid access to the best available evidence for decisions about health systems. Their archive is backed up and searchable in Epistemonikos, and will be taken offline after December 2024 due to funding discontinuation.

PAIS International

CABI Digital Library (CAB Abstracts)
Agriculture and allied fields, including rural tourism development and world agricultural economics. Corresponds to the 50 printed abstract journals published by CABI. Over 10,000 journals, monographs, conference proceedings, theses, technical reports, patents from over 100 countries. Running a search in CABI Digital Library will search Tropical Diseases Bulletin in addition to CAB Abstracts.
AGRICOLA
Compilation of materials acquired by the National Agricultural Library and cooperating institutions. Contains citations to journal articles, monographs, theses, patents, software, audiovisual materials, and technical reports covering all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines including plant and animal sciences, forestry, entomology, soil and water resources, agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, agricultural products, alternative farming practices, and food and nutrition.
A new EBSCO interface is coming soon. Preview the new EBSCO interface now
Food Science and Technology Abstracts (FSTA)
FSTA covers all areas of food science, food technology, and human nutrition, including basic food science, biotechnology, toxicology, packaging, and engineering. The International Food Information Service (IFIS) produces Food Science and Technology Abstracts (FSTA), which contains over 500,000 references; annual updates add approximately 18,000 references per year.
Environment Complete
Environment Complete is a leading full-text database for environmental studies. It provides hundreds of top environment journals and monographs covering agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, public policy, sustainability and other related subjects.

Health Sciences Spanish Bibliographic Index (IBECS)
IBECS is a database produced by the National Health Sciences Library of Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) of Spain's Ministry of Health, Social Policy, and Equality.
LILACS
LILACS is the most important and comprehensive index of scientific and technical literature of Latin America and the Caribbean.
SciELO Citation Index
SciELO is a bibliographic database and digital library of open access journals with a focus on literature published in developing countries, primarily in South America.
Virtual Health Library
Virtual Health Library provide access to academic journals, books, theses, conference papers, and government documents published in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Native Health Database
"The Native Health Database contains bibliographic information and abstracts of health-related articles, reports, surveys, and other resource documents pertaining to the health and health care of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations. The database provides information for the benefit, use, and education of organizations and individuals with an interest in health-related issues, programs, and initiatives regarding North American indigenous peoples."
African Index Medicus (AIM)
The WHO, in collaboration with the Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA), produces the African Index Medicus, an international index to African health literature and information sources.
Western Pacific Region Index Medicus (WPRO)
WPRO is a medical and health journals index. Project of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office in collaboration with several institutions in its Member States.
China Academic Journals (CNKI)
CNKI is a citation database of Chinese journals published in China. The journals are categorized under ten series, which include topics in medicine & public health (check Series E to search these topics).
Scholarly Academic Information Navigator (CiNii)
CiNii is a database with a Japan focus that can be used to search information on academic articles published in academic society journals, university research bulletins, or articles included in the National Diet Library's Japanese Periodicals Index Database and databases.
Index Medicus for the South-East Asian Region (IMSEAR)
IMSEAR is a database of articles published in journals within the WHO South-East Asia Region. It is a collaborative effort of participating libraries in the Health Literature, Library and Information Services (HELLIS) network.
Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (IMEMR)
IMEMR is a database of health literature produced in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. One of the major projects of the WHO's Virtual Health Sciences Library, initiated in response to a need to index health and biomedical journals from the region.

Evidence Synthesis Institute: Databases and Search Strategies

From umn Libraries (3:40 minutes)