Library News

UPDATED: November 17, 2025. Original Post: July 20, 2020

Integrating the best available health evidence into decision-making processes is an important part of evidence-based practice. However, before applying clinical research findings to patient care, health care providers must determine whether the research findings are valid.

It is important to remember that published studies are not necessarily trustworthy. Healthcare research must be evaluated before being used to guide clinical decisions. Critical appraisal provides a framework for this evaluation.

What is critical appraisal?

Critical appraisal is “the process of carefully and systematically examining research to judge its trustworthiness, and its value and relevance in a particular context.” (CASP)

To critically appraise clinical research is to look at its methodological quality, trustworthiness, and applicability to a patient’s specific situation. Critical appraisal helps us ask two essential questions about a particular research study (Sala Serra & Domingo Torrell, 2022):

• Are the results believable and free of bias or errors? (internal validity)
• Do the results apply to populations other than the sample participants, specifically to my patient’s situation? (external validity)

When should critical appraisal be conducted?

Research should always be critically appraised, no matter its intended use. Such uses may include:

• Patient care in a clinical setting
• Organizational policies or guidelines
• Care directives
• Educational projects

For example, if a recently published study in your discipline suggests a therapy is effective and safe for patients, critically appraising the study ensures the findings are valid and unbiased, and the therapy is appropriate for the specific needs of your patient.

Beyond clinical scenarios, critical appraisal is also a key part of evidence synthesis. As part of the systematic review process, for example, articles included in the review are critically appraised for validity. This ensures that the integrity of the overall review is not impacted by the quality of the individual studies included.

Using critical appraisal checklists

Any type of clinical study can be critically appraised, and each study type has its own checklist. Critical appraisal checklists provide a step-by-step guide through the appraisal process. There are many critical appraisal tools available from organizations that are experts in evidence-based research evaluation, including:

• JBI (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute): Critical Appraisal Tools
• Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM): Critical Appraisal Tools
• Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP): Critical Appraisal Checklists
• Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN): Critical Appraisal Notes and Checklists
• Critically Appraising for Antiracism Tool (Naicker, R. 2023)

For example, CASP’s Randomised Controlled Trial Checklist includes questions about study methodology such as:

• Was the assignment of participants to interventions randomised?
• Were the investigators ‘blind’ to the intervention they were giving to participants?
• Do the benefits of the experimental intervention outweigh the harms and costs?
• Would the experimental intervention provide greater value to the people in your care than any of the existing interventions?

Critical appraisal for antiracism is rarely addressed in standard tools. To avoid overlooking underrepresented patient populations, consider supplementing your chosen tool with Naicker’s Critically Appraising for Antiracism Tool.

Critical appraisal can be conducted without the use of a formal checklist, but using an established set of appraisal criteria may be helpful if you want to ensure that you are consistent in how you appraise clinical research.

For more info on critical appraisal in your daily work or a larger project, email AskLibrary@nshealth.ca or book a one-on-one consultation with a librarian.

Additional Support

In-depth Resources in Library Services' Searching subject guide.

References

1. CASP - Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. (2025, October 15). What is critical appraisal?. https://casp-uk.net/what-is-critical-appraisal/

2. Naicker, R. (2022). Critically appraising for antiracism. Education for Information, 38(4), 291–308. https://doi.org/10.3233/EFI-220052

3. Sala Serra, M., & Domingo Torrell, L. (2022). Validity of a study: Internal and external validity. Cirugia espanola, 100(10), 649–651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cireng.2021.12.007

Selena MacDonald

Librarian Educator
Nova Scotia Hospital, Central Zone

UPDATED: July 28, 2025.   Original Post: November 8, 2017

Developing a clear question is an important first step when researching information to guide your work and/or decision-making, and when preparing for a potential research project. In health care, practitioners and researchers are faced with complex questions which make starting the research process a daunting task. A well-built question is clear, focused, and summarizes the issue to be investigated. Determining the type of question will help you select the best resource to consult for your answer.

Background vs. Foreground Questions

Background questions are used to gather general information, typically asking the 5Ws: Who? What? When? Where? Why? To answer these questions, start with general resources, such as overview textbooks, summaries, medical directories, etc.

Example: Looking for general information on diabetes care? Search for resources using Library Services' Discover search. Use the filters on the left-hand side of the page to retrieve results for books to find general information on the disease and its presentation.

Other helpful resources for answering background questions include Library Services’ Subject Guides, which contain best bets on library resources for specific topics in healthcare research. Need resources that inform patient care? Our collection of Clinical Practice Supports highlights information and tools for clinical staff.

Building Foreground Questions

Foreground questions are specific and complex. They often consider multiple factors to guide decision making and/or inform further research.

Example: In women with migraine and aura, how does use of combination birth control pills affect risk of stroke compared to progestin-only birth control?

Clearly articulating a foreground question and identifying key components can be challenging. Using the PICO(T) model can help you identify your key concepts and build your question before examining the literature.

PICO Example:

This Evidence Based Practice module from Dalhousie University's Kellogg Library takes you through the steps of creating an answerable clinical question using PICO.

Structuring your Search

Using PICO to develop your question will help you identify key search concepts. Tools like a search planning grid can help you plan and organize your PICO criteria into search terms. Once identified, additional terms can be derived from synonyms and related concepts to expand your search results.

Once you have determined the key terms for your search, you will be able to search databases and search engines by combining your terms using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).

Still have Questions?

Visit Library Services’ Searching guide for more tips and assistance. Book a one-on-one consultation with a Librarian Educator to discuss building effective research questions or request a custom education session on the topic. Want to get started on searching? Try out your question-building skills by submitting a literature search request. We bet your results will be more relevant!

Happy searching!

Selena MacDonald

Librarian Educator
Nova Scotia Hospital, Central Zone

UPDATED: July 21, 2025.   Original Post: May 27, 2019

True or false: Healthcare literature that is more than five years old has no value.
Answer: It depends.

Healthcare professionals seeking answers to clinical questions for patient care need the most current available evidence. This type of medical information is continually evolving. For example, drug information can become outdated – and possibly outright dangerous – in as little as a year or two.

Other types of healthcare information change less frequently. Older anatomy and physiology textbooks and atlases, for example, may still include accurate information but may lack diverse representation and accessibility features found in newer editions.

Sometimes, older medical literature is valuable because of its historical perspective. One current example is case studies of past public health efforts to eradicate infectious diseases that are now resurging, such as measles. Lessons from past immunization campaigns, both successful and unsuccessful, can inform current and future strategies (Infante, 2025). They can provide insights such as (Hebert, 2012; Eddy, 2023; Infante, 2025):

• The vaccination coverage rate needed for herd immunity.
• The roles that socioeconomical, political, and cultural factors play.
• Approaches to help overcome challenges and barriers such as vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.

Other examples of historical medical information that still has merit include:

• Literature that illustrates the evolution of current medical knowledge and practices, and healthcare policies.
• Literature that involves practices that have withstood the test of time and are still relevant (e.g., hirudotherapy).

Where to find the most current clinical information

• Clinical Practice Supports
• BMJ Best Practice
• ClinicalKey
• Dynamic Health
• Pharmacist’s Letter Canada
• CPS

Where to find older medical literature

• PubMed can retrieve citations going back to the early 20th century for some publications.
• PsychINFO® contains historical psychological abstracts dating back to the 1800s.
• Library Services’ Ovid® journals collection contains titles dating back to 1946.

Older back issues of many journals can also be found by:

• Searching Library Services’ ejournal and print journal collection
• Applying publication date filters to results from Library Services’ Discover search

If you’re unsure of where to find the information you need, current or historical reach out to Library Services at AskLibrary@nshealth.ca or book a consultation with a library team member.

References:

1. Infante, D. (2025). Immunization strategies: What lessons can we learn from successful campaigns? News-Medical.Net. https://www.news-medical.net/health/Immunization-strategies-What-lessons-can-we-learn-from-successful-campaigns.aspx

2. Eddy, J.J., Smith, H.A., & Abrams, J.E. (2023). Historical lessons on vaccine hesitancy: Smallpox, polio, and measles, and implications for COVID-19. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 66(1), 145-159. doi: 10.1353/pbm.2023.0008

3. Hebert, C.J., Hall, C.M., & Odoms, L.N.J. (2012). Lessons learned and applied. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 8(5), 560-568. doi: 10.4161/hv.19204

Lana MacEachern

Library Technician
Pictou/Colchester-East Hants/Cumberland Region

UPDATED: June 17, 2024. Original Post: September 15, 2017

There are many factors you should consider when identifying the top journals in a particular field. These include:

• the publisher’s reputation
• the peer review process
• current citation metrics

Peer-Reviewed Titles

The peer review process involves independent experts in the same or related field(s) as the author, evaluating the “quality of the scholarship, reliability of findings, relevance to the field, appropriateness for the journal, etc.” (McMaster University, n.d.).

Many databases allow you to limit your search to peer-reviewed journals. For example, when searching CINAHL Ultimate, you can check the Peer Reviewed box under Search Options, then Limit your results, before entering your search terms. Alternatively, after you complete your search, you can refine your results by filtering by Source Types and selecting Academic Journals (A):

Using the Library’s Discover search, you can look for peer-reviewed articles by selecting Show peer reviewed only (B) in your search results:

Journal Metrics

Several metrics are used to measure the importance of journals, including:

• Impact Factor
• Eigenfactor
• Scimago Journal & Country Rank (SJR)

SJR, for example, is an open-access metric that ranks titles found in Scopus from 1996-present. Use the Journal Rankings (C) feature to organize results by specific criteria, including:

subject area
subject category
regions/countries
type
year

SJR journal ranking information (score and H-INDEX) can also be found while searching the library’s journal collection.

Hovering your mouse over the SJR score (D) will give more information about the score:

• A higher score is better.
• Q1 signifies that a journal has been ranked in the top 25% of its subject category.
• H-Index is a reflection of the number of an author’s published articles and number of times cited.

Some people question the validity and reliability of journal metrics, in particular, those of Impact Factor (Greenwood, 2007).

Additional Evaluation Tips

The University of Chicago’s Library Guides and Dalhousie University’s “Predatory Publishers: How to determine validity” overview provide questions you may find helpful to consider when evaluating journals, including:

• Is the journal published/sponsored by a professional scholarly society or association (e.g., the American Psychological Association)? An academic press (e.g., Oxford University Press)?
• Are reviewers or editorial board members listed on the journal’s website or within the journal?
• Does the publisher provide contact information?
• Is the number of rejected articles comparable to other reputable journals?

Locating and Accessing Titles

An easy way to find relevant journals in your field is through Library Services’ Discover Search and Collections Search page. To search for journals by title, use the lower search box labelled Nova Scotia Health Library Collections, and select the Journals tab. Your search results will show relevant journals that Library Services subscribes to electronically or owns in print.

Alternatively, you can select the upper search box labelled Discover and search for journals by title or subject. Refine your search results using the filters on the left side of the page. Select Journal (E) under Publication Type. Select Apply (F) to remove results that aren’t journals.

If you’re struggling to find full-text access to a particular journal article you need, access our Document Delivery form to request it. For help with searching, check out Library Services’ tutorials.

For information on any of Library Services’ resources, please reach out to AskLibrary@nshealth.ca.

References

1. Greenwood, D. C. (2007). Reliability of journal impact factor rankings. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 7(48), 48. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2206035/

McMaster University (n.d.). Scholarly vs. Popular Sources: Scholarly Peer Reviewed Journals. https://library.mcmaster.ca/research/scholarly-vs-popular-sources#tab-scholarly-peer-reviewed-journals

Laura Mounce

Librarian Educator
Halifax Infirmary, Central Zone

Nova Scotia Health Library Services has several new ebooks on our virtual shelves, thanks to the generosity of the Dr. Chauhan Memorial Trust Fund (Cape Breton, Guysborough, Antigonish Strait region).

With funding from the trust fund, Library Services has added the following titles to support physicians, nurses and allied health providers. Doody’s Review Service highly recommends many of these titles.

To view the new ebooks:

1. Click on a title below.
2. Click on View full text at the top of the ebook record.

Dr. Chauhan Memorial Trust Fund Purchases:

Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs (2023)

Trauma, Occupation, and Participation: Foundations and Population Considerations in Occupational Therapy (2021)

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for OCD and Its Subtypes (2020)

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for OCD: A Treatment Manual (2020)

Virtual Services in the Health Sciences Library: A Handbook (2022)

Lymphatic Structure and Function in Health and Disease (2020)

The Oxford Handbook of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (2021)

Dialectical behavior therapy (2020)

Mastery of your anxiety and panic: therapist guide (2022)

Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (2022)

As Nova Scotia Health staff and physicians, you have access to more than 20,000 ebooks!

Looking for ebooks on a particular topic? Our Discover search (a Google-style search for library content) searches the library’s print and electronic resources, including full-text articles. Its built-in features bring relevant content to the top of your results so you can quickly find the content you need.

Searching in Discover will help you find resources in our own library collection and beyond. If you only want to search our ebooks, follow these steps:

On the library’s homepage:

1. Navigate to Search Sources (A) in the top navigation bar.
2. Select Discover (B) from the drop-down menu.

Under Search Nova Scotia Health Library Collections:

3. Select the Books (C) tab and enter title you’re looking for (D). 
4. Click on Search to find out if we have that title in our collection and how to access it.

If there's a book or other resource you think Library Services should add to our collection, please let us know! To suggest a purchase:

1. Click on the Services drop-down arrow at the top of the library’s homepage,
2. Click on Purchasing.
3. Under Suggest a Library Purchase, select the blue button:
4. Fill out and submit the electronic form.

NOTE On mobile devices, click on the grey button in the upper right corner of your screen, select Services and then Purchasing.

Thanks again to the generosity of the Dr. Chauhan Memorial Trust Fund. As always, if you have any questions, please connect with us at AskLibrary@nshealth.ca.

Amanda Andrews

Librarian Educator, Education & Training Lead
Eastern Zone - Cape Breton, Guysborough, Antigonish

TDS Health hosts a variety of resources relevant to various health care disciplines, including STAT!Ref Titles. TDS Health provides:

• Full text access
• A search function that can search within the full text
• A built-in medical dictionary to help you while you read

Accessing TDS Health

From Library Services' homepage, select Search Sources in the top navigation bar. From the dropdown menu, select Databases. Select T, then TDS Health (formerly STAT!Ref).

Accessing STAT!Ref Titles

You can find a list of all the titles offered via STAT!Ref by selecting the STAT!Ref panel on the TDS Health homepage.

Searching tips

TDS Health’s search bar allows you to search within the full text of all available titles. To help you search better:

• Use keywords rather than entering a full sentence question.
• If you would like two or more words to be found adjacent to each other, use quotation marks (e.g. "myocardial infarction").
• Hyphenating terms will make the search find the words in that exact order (e.g. torsades-de-pointes).

Filtering search results

On the search results page, under FILTER BY on the left, you can filter your results.

• Custom Title Set lets you specify which titles you want to limit your search to. In the popup window, check off the titles you want to search in, then click on the floppy disk icon  in the top right.
• DATE RANGE lets you limit the publication date range.
• RELATED TO lets you specify the aspect of your topic you want to focus on. For example, if you searched ‘Tuberculosis’ and checked off ‘Diagnosis’, it will give you information specifically about diagnosing tuberculosis.
• ADVANCED SEARCH provides three helpful tools:

1. Suffixes searches for variations of your keywords (e.g. diabetes will also give you diabetic, diabetics, etc.).
2. Related Terms looks for synonyms for your keywords (e.g. heart attack will also give myocardial infarction).
3. Headings Only searches only within the Table of Contents.

Viewing an eBook

When viewing an ebook on TDS Health, the Table of Contents is always on the left-hand side for easy navigation between sections. In-text citations appear as superscript numbers; you can click on each number to find the full citation in the reference section.

At the top of the full text, the Tables and Figures tabs provide summaries of all the tables and figures used within the current section.

To search within the current book, click on the dropdown menu to the left of the search bar at the top of the page and select Current Title, then run your search.

TDS Health will highlight all the matching keywords within the text. To navigate between the highlighted keywords, use the Match arrows  at the top of the full text.

The Result arrows  let you navigate between all the results from the search results page.

Using Stedman’s Medical Dictionary

Stedman’s Medical Dictionary provides definitions for medical terms, abbreviations, acronyms, measurements, and more. It is offered through TDS Health and is also embedded into all the other titles on TDS Health.

To define a word within the text, simply highlight the word. A pop-up will appear with a dictionary definition as well as an audio pronunciation.

Getting the TDS Health Mobile App

If you would like to view the titles offered through TDS Health on your mobile phone, you can follow this link to the Mobile Apps and Resources subject guide for more information.

If you have questions about using STAT!Ref through TDS Health, reach out to us at AskLibrary@nshealth.ca or book a one-on-one consultation with a Library Services team member for help using this and other library resources.

Vinson Li

Librarian Educator
Yarmouth Regional Hospital, Western Zone

PubMed® recently added a new proximity searching tool to help you create better searches. The tool allows you to search for multiple terms within a specified distance of each other, such as one or more words apart, in any order. This can only be done with the title and the abstract fields. This tool can already be found in other databases, such as CINAHL®.

How to use Proximity Searching in PubMed®

Proximity searching uses the following format:
          “search terms”[field:~N]

“search terms” are the words you want to search for.

• You can add two or more words within quotation marks. The more words you use, the narrower the search gets.
• You cannot use truncation (e.g., pain*). A possible work-around is to use “OR”.
  For example:
  Instead of: “ICU nurs*”[title:~1]
  Use: “ICU nurse”[title:~1] OR “ICU nurses”[title:~1]
• You cannot specify the order in which the words appear in the search.

 field specifies where within an article you want the proximity search to be done.

• Currently, you can only use the [Title] and [Title/Abstract] fields:
  • [Title] looks for the search terms within the titles of articles.
  • [Title/Abstract] looks for the search terms within the titles and abstracts of articles.
• When searching [Title/Abstract], use the field abbreviation “tiab” to limit the search to this field.
  For example: “neoplasm[tiab]”.

 ~N specifies the maximum number of words apart you want the search terms to appear.

• ~0 means the search terms must be adjacent to each other.
• ~1 means there is at most one word between all the search terms
• ~2 means there is at most two words between all the search terms, and so forth.

Proximity Search Example

To search for articles that contain the terms ‘staffing’ and ‘model’ within at most two words of each other and within the title or abstract, the search query is:

"staffing model" [tiab:~2]

Here are some of the results from that search query:

In the titles, you will see that the words ‘staffing’ and ‘model’ appear adjacent in one result, and two words apart in the other result.

In the abstract snippets, you will notice that the words don’t appear next to each other. This is because PubMed® highlights all words that match the search terms in the search results, regardless of the query parameters.

Check out this video for more information on how to use PubMed®’s Proximity Search: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/oet/ed/pubmed/quicktours/proximity/index.html

If you have questions about PubMed®’s Proximity Search, or about database searches in general, book a one-on-one consultation with a Library Services team member, or reach out to us with your questions at AskLibrary@nshealth.ca.

Vinson Li

Librarian Educator
Yarmouth Regional Hospital, Western Zone

Are you interested in learning how to access information using Library Services resources or developing patient education pamphlets? Our education sessions teach practical information skills that meet the evolving needs of:

• Clinicians, staff and researchers who need to efficiently access health sciences literature for research and to inform patient care
• Clinicians who need to learn how to access new/under-utilized point-of-care tools and other relevant resources

Online education sessions, offered on Microsoft Teams, cover topics such as:

• Library Services orientation
• Literature search tips to assist with research
• Searching specific databases (such as PubMed®, CINAHL, etc.)
• Developing patient pamphlets
• Copyright advice

We keep in mind health care workers' busy schedules so new classes are added every three months with a variety of dates and times. There is sure to be a session suitable for you.

View online education and training opportunities

1. Be sure to check our Learning Opportunities calendar often. You can access the calendar from Library Services’ website by selecting Services at the top of the Library’s home page. From the dropdown menu, select Education and Training Sessions.
2. Watch for learning opportunities in the Library Services section of Nova Scotia Health News.
3. Print and post our fall education flyer - coming in September! From the Library Services home page, select Documents & Forms from the left-hand menu. Select Promotion, then the Library Learning Opportunities document for the current season.
4. Keep an eye out for promotional emails from Library Services.

Online session registration is quick and easy:

1. From the Learning Opportunities calendar, select the session you are interested in.
2. Select the Begin Registration button and complete the form.
3. Before you select Register, it is helpful to have your device set up properly to join the meeting.
   1. Support for joining the meeting is provided on the registration page and in the confirmation email you will receive.
   2. If you have any difficulty, please email Library Services prior to the session date.
4. Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email with the link to join the session.
5. You will also receive a reminder email before the session date.
6. After the session, you will receive a Training Evaluation Form. Your feedback is important!

Custom Group Training

Looking for a customized group training session? We have you covered! Our instructors deliver customized education sessions on several topics that support your info needs, at a time that works best for your team. Depending on the type of request, customized group training can be delivered virtually, via Microsoft Teams, or in-person. Let us know what you are looking for by filling out our Custom Group Training form. A Library Services team member will be in touch to arrange your session.

Consultations

Library Services’ team members also provide consultations. Meet one-on-one with a library and information professional for help with your project, publication, research or other info need. Book a consultation online today!

We look forward to meeting you in one or more of these sessions, or in a consultation with a Library team member. As always, please reach out to AskLibrary@nshealth.ca with questions or for further info about Library Services’ Education and Training opportunities.

Amanda Andrews

Librarian Educator, Education & Training Lead
Eastern Zone - Cape Breton, Guysborough, Antigonish

The results are in: Nova Scotia Health staff and physicians are making great use of the BMJ Best Practice Comorbidities point-of-care tool!

Did you know you can access the same content, including the Comorbidities Manager, on the BMJ Best Practice app

BMJ Best Practice, including the Comorbidities Manager, is available 24/7 to support health care providers with making informed clinical decisions.

In the first 12 months after launching the BMJ Comorbidities Manager add-on at Nova Scotia Health:

• Use of the BMJ Best Practice database increased by 150%
• Views of the treatment management section increased by an average of 73%
• 40% of the top ten most-used topics fall within the Comorbidities section

The BMJ Comorbidities Manager allows health care providers to treat the whole patient using a patient’s comorbidities to inform a more tailored treatment plan. This tool is integrated into BMJ Best Practice and is the only clinical decision support tool of its kind (BMJ Best Practice, 2023).

Usage statistics show that at Nova Scotia Health, sessions on the app have increased by 40% since 2021. Having access to the Comorbidities Manager on the go means you have access to clinical decision support anytime, anywhere!

BMJ Best Practice App Benefits

• The ability to tailor treatment plans with the Comorbidities Manager
• Access more than 1,000 conditions summaries offline. Clinical decision support is available on your mobile device even when you are not connected to your network and do not have access to the Internet
• Access over 200 interactive medical calculators
• Automatic tracking of your activity for CME/CPD purposes

BMJ Best Practice, 2023

How to Get the App

Downloading the app is quick and easy. It only uses minimal storage on your device. You must have a personal account in order to use the app. To create an account:

1. Access BMJ Best Practice via the library’s Databases A-Z page.
2. Create a BMJ Best Practice personal account through the pop-up box – “Create your FREE personal account in one step”.
3. Download and install the app from the App Store or from Google Play.
4. Select "Log in" and enter your BMJ Best Practice personal account details to sign in.

Visit Library Services’ Mobile Apps & Resources guide for more information.

Using the Comorbidities Manager on the app

Let’s look at how you could use the Comorbidities Manager in the following clinical scenario:

An 80-year-old man presents at the emergency department with acute exacerbation of COPD. You learn from his family that he also has depression and diabetes. You need to quickly decide how to best treat his acute condition while considering his pre-existing conditions.

Search for ‘acute exacerbation of COPD’ by typing it into the search bar (1). On the app, predictive text is enabled when searching for conditions.

Under Management (2) select Treatment algorithm (3).

A pop-up box will appear to add your patient’s comorbidities. Check the boxes for both Diabetes and Depression (4) and select Show Treatment Algorithm (5).

Options that are affected or added because of the patient’s comorbidities will be indicated by the Comorbidities icon  (6). Click on each treatment option for further details (7).

NOTE Not all conditions will include the ability to add comorbidities.

For more information about using the BMJ Best Practice Comorbidities Manager on the app or the desktop version, book a consultation with a library team member, or email us at AskLibrary@nshealth.ca.

References

1. BMJ Publishing Group Limited. (2023). Comorbidities: Treat the whole patient. BMJ Best Practice. https://bestpractice.bmj.com/info/comorbidities.

2. BMJ Publishing Group Limited.(2023). Free access to our award-winning app for BMJ Best Practice users. BMJ Best Practice. https://bestpractice.bmj.com/info/us/download-the-app/

Amanda Andrews

Librarian Educator, Education & Training Lead
Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Eastern Zone

UPDATED: February 27, 2023. Original Post: June 18, 2018

Using Google to search for articles might seem quick and easy—until you hit a paywall. Rather than pay for access to an article, Nova Scotia Health staff can use Library Services’ subscriptions and Document Delivery services to access the information they need. Check out four ways to access journal articles through Library Services below and skip the paywalls!

Search in Discover (TDNet)

Discover searches multiple databases and health sciences resources at once—not just content that Nova Scotia Health subscribes to or has in print. You can search Discover for articles, journals, book chapters, and more.

To begin, navigate to the Library’s homepage and select the Discover tab. In the search box, enter the title of the article you are looking for or keywords that focus on your topic. Then click Search.

On your search results page, you can revise your search keywords, if needed, or narrow your search by applying the filters found on the left side. An icon under each search result will display information about full-text access:

• View full text: You have immediate access to the full text of the article because Library Services has a subscription and pays for access. You can click View full text (1) to view the article, or click the article’s title to go to the article’s library record. From there, you can view more information about the article, as well as options for accessing the full-text.
  NOTE The View full text icon also displays when Library Services owns a print version of an item.
  
•  Open Access: The article is free to access for everyone. You can click Open Access (2) to view the article, or click the article’s title to go to the article’s library record. From there, you can view more information about the article, as well as options for accessing the full-text.
  
•  Check for full text: We may not currently have access to the article. In that case, request a copy using the Document Delivery form attached to the article’s library record. Click the article’s title or Check for full text (3), then scroll down to complete the form.
  

NOTE If you only want to see search results that allow immediate full-text access, click Get it at Nova Scotia Health at the top of the list of search filters on the left side of your search results screen.

Use Library Services’ PubMed® or Google Scholar Access Point

Accessing PubMed® or Google Scholar from Library Services’ Databases A-Z list will show which search results provide full-text access through Nova Scotia Health. There are two ways to access the A-Z list from our homepage:

1. Click the Databases tab on the main search box. Click the dropdown menu to find the database you wish to search.

OR

2. Click Search Sources in the top navigation menu, then click Databases. Scroll to find the database you want to search.

Click on the name of the database you want to search, then enter your keywords in the search box.

If you are searching in PubMed®, click on a title from your results page. This will take you to the article’s record page, example below. On the right side of the screen, there will be full-text links, if available (4).

If you are searching in Google Scholar, look for full-text access information on the right side of your search results page (5).

Full-text in other databases

Some databases, like APA PsycINFO, allow searchers to filter results by full-text access. Like your Discover search results, your search results in other databases will have icons and words that describe your access:

• Linked Full Text and Open Access give you immediate access to the article.
• Check for Full Text means you will need to request the article through Document Delivery.

To limit your search results to items with immediate full-text access, click Linked Full Text or Open Access from the filters on the left side of the search results page.

Request Full-text through Document Delivery

While each item record in Discover contains a Document Delivery form, you can simply use a blank Document Delivery form on the Library’s website: https://library.nshealth.ca/Document-Delivery. Include as much detail as possible and click Send. Library staff will contact you if there are any fees associated with your request.

For more information on any of Library Services’ resources, please reach out to AskLibrary@nshealth.ca.

Laura Mounce

Librarian Educator
Halifax Infirmary, Central Zone