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Physiotherapy and sports and exercise science

Find online and print resources for physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and sports and exercise science.

Choosing a database

Searching healthcare databases

Choosing a database

UniSQ Library provides access to a wide range of healthcare databases and there no single database can provide all the information you are looking for. Start by looking at the Databases section specific to the subject you are studying and then review the databases that match your research needs. You may need to search multiple databases to ensure you find the scholarly sources you need.

When choosing which databases to search, you should consider these questions:

  • What subjects does the database cover?

You need to know what subjects a database includes to make sure that you choose the correct database for your topic. Your choice of database can also influence the kind of information you find in your searches.

  • What date range does the database cover?

Most databases will have a Help or About this database section where you can learn more about the content included in the database. 

  • What type of materials does the database include?

Most databases include scholarly or peer-reviewed articles but many will include other kinds of content such as:

  • books or book chapters
  • dissertations
  • conference papers
  • images, audio, or videos

Searching databases

Watch PEDro simple search (YouTube, 2m 34s)

You can find more videos on how to use this resource on the PEDro YouTube channel.

Searching CINAHL (EBSCO)

  • Access CINAHL via UniSQ Library. 

Watch CINAHL database - basic searching tutorial (YouTube, 3m, 20s).

Searching PubMed

Watch PubMed: find articles on a topic (YouTube, 41s).

You can search the PubMed User Guide, use PubMed Online Training resources, or watch a playlist of NLM video tutorials to help you build your PubMed search skills. 

Searching The Cochrane Library

Watch Searching the Cochrane Library (YouTube, 2m 50s).

The Cochrane Library training hub contains webinars, user guides, and short training videos to help you learn how to search these resources effectively. 

Searching JBI (Ovid)

Watch The JBI EBP database on Ovid (YouTube, 5m 29s) to learn more about what this database includes and how to start searching.

Searching Scopus

Searching Science Direct

Searching EBSCO databases

Watch the EBSCOhost basic search tutorial (YouTube, 2m 11s).

UniSQ Library provides access to many different databases via EBSCO. You can search across all the databases but you might find that you get overwhelmed with too many results that might not help to answer your question. To perform more focused searches and use more advanced search functions, you should choose and search each individual database that is relevant to your search topic.

Visit the EBSCO support pages or watch the EBSCO YouTube playlist to learn more searching skills for these resources.