Class 504 Unit 4 Comment 1 Features of PubMed database

Answer this discussion with opinions/ideas creatively and clearly. Supports post using several outside, peer-reviewed sources.

1 References, find resources that are 5 years or less

No errors with APA format 6 Edition

To Comment:

1. Describe three unique features of PubMed database that sets this database apart from other evidence-based search engines.

2. Compare and contrast two additional databases and reference your selected topic, by using the Cochrane Collaboration and Medline as your search engines.

3. Determine how you applied the three key questions when deciding which database to use.

The PubMed database is a unique tool to help the practitioner search and find reliable and valid results with less effort. Two features of the database are its ability to differentiate the priority of search terms in the results list using MeSH terms, and to manipulate the search algorithms to help the practitioner answer clinical questions (Chapman, 2009). These tasks are accomplished by additional options tabs during navigation of the search functions. Another unique feature of PubMed is the use of a sub database called Entrez, which is a text search and retrieval system that incorporates the database into thirty-eight other databases to increase the ability for precise search results (Entrez Help, 2016). This addition separates PubMed from other databases by allowing for more layers of refinement of searches conducted to increase the likelihood of finding exactly what the researcher is looking for.

In contrast, the Cochrane Collaboration and Medline databases entail two different search processes when conducting research. The Cochrane collaboration is a stand-alone database that is comprised of systematic reviews and meta-analyses conducted by internal researchers. Medline is the National Library of Medicine’s search engine encompassing many different databases, including PubMed.

The three key questions in research are: Are the results valid, what are the results, and will the results help me in caring for my patients (Fineout-Overholt, & Melnyk, 2015). These three questions measure a search results’ validity, reliability, and applicability to practice, respectively. Systematic use of these questions has helped me to evaluate research results from the various databases to determine the quality of material in them.

References

Chapman, D. (2009). Advanced search features of PubMed. Journal of The Canadian

Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry = Journal De L’academie Canadienne De Psychiatrie De L’enfant Et De L’adolescent, 18(1), 58-59.

Entrez Help. (2016). Bethesda (MD): National Center for Biotechnology Information (US);

Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK3837.pdf

Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. (2015). Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing & Healthcare:

A Guide to Best Practice. (3rd Ed.). Wolters Kluwer/ Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

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