These databases are freely available and can be used in clinical settings. They can also be used after you graduate.
As a WSU Student
These databases are available through the University Libraries. If you are off-campus, you will need to enter your myWSU ID and password in order to access them.
After Graduation
If you need to access these resources after you graduate, you can come to Ablah Library to use one of the computers set aside for community members. You will need to bring a photo ID. Use is limited to 2 hours per day.
Watch all tutorials, or choose individual topics based on your familiarity with PubMed.
This module covers searching for articles and other evidence-based information to answer your clinical question. The resources on this page will assist you in developing a successful search strategy that can be applied to any number of information sources.
This tutorial is designed to assist you in formulating a search strategy for acquiring evidence. The strategies discussed in this tutorial can be applied to any database. You will learn how to compile a list of keywords for your topic and determine how to organize those keywords in order to retrieve relevant articles.
View the tutorial by clicking on the link below.
If you would like to view the tutorial on a mobile device (including iPads), please click here.
Different types of clinical questions are best answered by different types of research studies.
This table suggests study designs best suited to answer each type of clinical question.
Clinical Question |
Suggested Research Design(s) |
All Clinical Questions |
Systematic review, meta-analysis |
Therapy |
Randomized controlled trial (RCT), meta-analysis |
Etiology |
Randomized controlled trial (RCT), meta-analysis, cohort study |
Diagnosis |
Randomized controlled trial (RCT) |
Prevention |
Randomized controlled trial (RCT), meta-analysis |
Prognosis |
Cohort study Also: case-control study, case series |
Meaning |
Qualitative study |
Quality Improvement |
Randomized controlled trial (RCT) |
Cost |
Economic evaluation |
When Full Text is Available
Ideally, when searching for articles, you'll see one of these icons that indcate the full-text of an article is available electronically:
If you see one of those icons, just click the link to view, save, or print the article.
Your Next Step . . .
If you don't see the above full text links, you might see the 360Link icon:
This will let you know if the article is available in another database or if it's not available electronically. Click here for a detailed guide on 360 Link.
InterLibrary Loan (ILL)
If we don't have an article either electronically or in print, you can request that article through ILL. Click here and log in with your myWSU ID and password. Click on Article under the New Request menu and fill out the information in the form. Due to the RapidILL consortial agreement, articles are often delievered to your email as a PDF file in as little as an hour!