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Online and Remote Studies: Health Sciences

Online and Remote Studies

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Health and Medicine Library Guides

See the Medicine Guide and Health Sciences Guide, suggesting recommended databases for your subject.

For an online presentation on using Library databases see (note these require your UoL MWS login): 

See Further Guides for general help getting started with E-Resources, sources for your subject, Webinars and online tutorials.

Health and Medicine

MESH (Medical Subject Headings) are key terms for medical, psychological and allied topics, you can supply MESH headings in many databases such as NCBI/Pubmed, OVID/MEDLINE and others.

You can browse MESH headings or search the MESH 2019 database (Hint - for a general keyword search, try selecting 'All Terms' and use the 'Any Fragment' search button).

You can search NCBI for MESH terms and see suggested MESH headings: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/

Search for articles using MESH headings on databases

  • ProQuest Health Research Premium Collection - see the advanced search for a MESH search option
  • OVID (Medline) - this databases provides suggested headings when searching, alternatively to begin a search using a MESH heading, in the search area of the page choose 'Search fields' then select the tab 'All fields', then select a MESH heading (checkbox) a little way down the page, you must then supply a MESH term/phrase for your search (see lists of MESH terms below or on Pubmed above). You can also use the 'Multi-Field Search' option and select 'Mesh subject heading' in the pull-down list (to combine searches).
  • Pubmed (on NCBI) - see the pull-down menu in the advanced search then select a MESH option to search for MESH terms, also see this alternative search box 
  • Other NLM/NCBI databases also support MESH, note, when using PMC and PMC Europe you may need to search for Full Text using UoL databases such as OVID, SCOPUS, Web of Science (or NCBI databases configured for UoL authentication such as Pubmed).

MESH subject lists

MESH guides

Systematic Review usually consists of developing a search strategy built around topical terms related to the research question, then identifying a number of case studies to evaluate. If you are using a Systematic Review approach for your final written project, this should be defined in your research proposal or methodology.  There are a number of Systematic Review models, some of these are shown below. You should follow any special instructions for conducting a Systematic Review provided by your programme of study. Please contact your tutors if you have any questions on the systematic review.

See our research guides for video tutorials on carrying out a systematic review.

Systematic Review models

PRISMA resources for systematic reviews

If you are conducting a research project using PRISMA (referred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) the following resources are available:

Systematic Review tools and online platforms

  • EPPI Centre and EPPI tools/ EPPI reviewer - The EPPI-Centre is a specialist centre for: developing methods for systematic reviewing and synthesis of research evidence; and developing methods for the study of the use research.
  • Also see research software available at UoL e.g. SPSS, also see Open Acces and online applications such as Epi reviewer at https://libguides.liverpool.ac.uk/online-remote-studies/apps

Systematic Review textbooks

Systematic Review Training 

LinkedIn Learning video tutorials for Systematic Review and Meta Analysis

LinkedIn Learning provides many video tutorials and modules for systematic review, statistics, meta analysis and related research issues.

Also see help logging into LinkedIn Learning.

Also see this FAQ

I am an online student and need help with systematic reviews

Also see systematic review guides provided by University of Lancaster.

MEDLINE - is a citation database of approx 26 million citations, derived globally from biomedical scholarly sources. MEDLINE citations are displayed when searching Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed and other major citation databases. See this link for an overview of MEDLINE. You are recommended to search MEDLINE primarily via our Ovid MEDLINE platform (also see 'Databases' tab above or links to subject Library Guides).

Biomedical citation datbases using MEDLINE include the following, note, only Ovid is licensed/ supported by the Library:

  • Ovid MEDLINE - Ovid is a commercial database licensed by the Library allowing you to search the MEDLINE database, the Ovid database is configured to show links to Library smartlinks (Is it @ Liverpool). Each MEDLINE record is assigned MESH headings, allowing you to use MESH headings within your literature search or systematic review methodology. Ovid provides the best integration with Library sources and provides lisenced support.
     
  • NCBI - (National Center for Biotechnology Information), incorporates many searchable biomedical databases and is funded by the US National Library of Medicine. NCBI's full search (when searching all NCBI sources) includes Full Text collections such as PMC, but also databases providing citations which may link to commercial sources. You can use this link to search NCBI using your UoL login (to view sources licensed by the Library). See this link for an overview of NCBI sources.
     
  • PMC - PubMed Central is a Full Text collection of approx 6 million Open Access articles and scholarly papers shared prior to formal publication. All content in PMC should display a Full Text document (usually PDF). PMC results are also included when searching NCBI or PubMed.  You can search PMC individually to search alll Full Text content in the collection, this is a public collection and requires no login. See this link for an overview of PMC content and sources. 
     
  • PubMed - is an interface to search the NCBI MEDLINE database and additional NCBI citations (approx 30 million citations) and is part of the NCBI platform. PubMed also includes Full Text sources within the NCBI platform, including PMC. PubMed searchability is generally less structured when compared to Ovid MEDLINE, however you can use the PubMed 'advanced search' to limit your search to MESH heagings. PubMed may display Full Text results or citations which may link to commercial sources. You can use this link to search PubMed using your UoL login (to view sources licensed by the Library). See this link for an overview of PubMed sources.
     
  • Europe PMC - Europe PubMed Central is a global biomedical platform, it includes approx. 38 million citations and approx 7 million Tull Text articles. You may need to use other Library databases such as Ovid MEDLINE, SCOPUS or Web of Science to search for papers where citations only are provided. See this link for an overview of Europe PMC content and sources.

E-Resources for Health Sciences