The Scopus database provides access to STM journal articles and the references included in those articles, allowing the searcher to search both forward and backward in time. The database can be used for collection development as well as for research. This review provides information on the key points of the database and compares it to Web of Science. Neither database is inclusive, but complements each other. If a library can only afford one, choice must be based in institutional needs.Scopus is an abstract and indexing database with full-text links that is produced by the Elsevier Co. The name, Scopus, was inspired by the bird, Hammerkop (Scopus umbretta), which reportedly has excellent navigation skills. The database, in development for two years, was developed working with 21 research institutions and more than 300 researchers and librarians. The verbal and behavioral feedback of these librarians and researches was analyzed and used to improve the product.
EBP is in varying stages of growth among these fields. The evolution of EBP is evidenced by developments in preservice training, growth of the literature and resources, and increased research funding. Obstacles to EBP include competing job tasks, the need for additional training, and prevalent attitudes and behaviors toward research among practitioners. Librarians' skills in searching, organizing, and evaluating information can contribute to furthering the development of EBP in a given profession.
The purpose of this research was to determine which of three databases, CINAHL, EMBASE or MEDLINE, should be accessed when researching nursing topics. The three databases were searched for citations on topics selected by three nurse researchers and the results were compared. For the search of nursing care literature on a medical condition, it was helpful to search both CINAHL and MEDLINE. CINAHL provided the majority of relevant articles for the second search, on computers and privacy, but inclusion of MEDLINE and EMBASE enhanced retrieval somewhat. The search on substance abuse in pregnancy, not restricted to nursing literature, retrieved better results when searching both MEDLINE and EMBASE. Due to the nature and distribution of the nursing literature, it is especially important for the searcher to understand and respond to the focus of the researcher.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.