Types and Sources of Evidence
Secondary
Secondary research summarises and consolidates findings of multiple trials, experiments or surveys that deal with the same topic. Searching these sources first could save a lot of time and effort.
Categories: Systematic reviews, Meta-analyses, Clinical Practice Guidelines
Sources:
Eyes and Vision Specialist Library (EVSL)
The Eyes and Vision Specialist Library (EVSL) is one of 24 Specialist Libraries commissioned by the National Library for Health.The purpose of the library is to find, organise, and facilitate access to the best currently available evidence on eye health in order to support and inform clinical care in NHS England. Includes systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and practice guidelines. Other specialist libraries at the NLH which could be helpful, are the Diabetes Specialist Library, the Screening Specialist Library and the National Library of Guidelines.
The Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Library contains high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making. It includes reliable evidence from Cochrane and other systematic reviews, clinical trials, and more. Cochrane reviews bring you the combined results of the world’s best medical research studies, and are recognised as the gold standard in evidence-based health care. Available free in the NHS, UK and other countries as listed here.
TRIP database
The TRIP (Turning Research into Practice) Database provides a searchable index of evidence-based health resources on the Internet. Includes an ophthalmology subsite.
Primary
Primary research is usually written by the researchers themselves. This is usually in the form of journal articles. They report the outcomes of single studies.
Categories: Clinical trials, Experiments or Surveys
Sources:
PubMed
PubMed gives access to Medline at the National Library of Medicine site in the US. Medline is a database of references to journal articles, dating back to 1966. It indexes over 4,600 international journals in the fields of clinical medicine and biomedical research. Articles can be obtained from the College Library.
VisionCite
VisionCite is a useful supplement to PubMed, bridging the gaps in PubMed's coverage of optometric literature. Some examples of titles not indexed in PubMed, but included in VisionCite are Contact Lens Spectrum, British Journal of Visual Impairment, Review of Optometry, Optometry Today, and Optician. Contact Carrie Sherlock for access details.
Learn More about Finding and Using Evidence-based Literature
In the Library
Clinical and Experimental Optometry - Special issue on evidence-based optometry.
Articles from this journal are available from the College Library. Click on the title for the table of contents.
How to Read a Paper. Trish Greenhalgh.
This book is available to consult or borrow from the College Library. Click on the title for the table of contents.
On the Web
PubMed tutorial provided by the NLM.
Cochrane database training materials can be found at the Wiley Interscience website