Citation Management Software
Unsure of where to start with creating a citation? Feeling overwhelmed by authors, titles, and where to put periods? Don't stress! LSU Libraries has access to some wonderful citation management resources available for students and faculty members to use. These can be great foundations for creating a citation. However, don't rely on the 100%. You will still need to double check them for errors. Citation Management software can be a useful tool but it is only a tool. Ask your professor if you questions about the citation style they prefer.
- What Is Citation Management Software?Research Guide about the various different citation management available.
Databases
- CINAHL Complete This link opens in a new windowThis is the definitive research tool for nursing and allied health professionals. With CINAHL Complete users get fast and easy access to top nursing and allied health journals, evidence-based care sheets and quick lessons.
- CINAHL Databases - Basic Searching TutorialThis tutorial demonstrates the basic searching features of the suite of CINAHL databases on EBSCOhost. Additional functionality available from the CINAHL Plus, CINAHL Plus with Full Text and CINAHL Complete databases is also included.
Discovery is a great place to start when you are unsure of your key terms. It searches our catalog and many (not all) of the databases we own. Don't forget to filter on the left hand side of the page. You can filter by full text, dates, article type, subject, and more. This is also a wonderful resource to help you develop keywords for your search.
- DiscoveryDiscovery searches multiple databases including most, if not all of the EBSCO databases and our library catalog. A great thing about Discovery is that not only is it user friendly, it also uses filters on the left hand side to help you focus and narrow in on your topic.
- Discovery Search TutorialTutorial on Discovery and how to do a keyword search.
- Nursing & Allied Health Source This link opens in a new windowThis single dedicated resource minimizes the need for nursing students, researchers, and teaching staff to spend a lot of time looking for practice reference material. Leading nursing journals are provided alongside videos, dissertations, e-books, and study paths, making it easier to make connections between complex theoretical information and applying the acquired knowledge to practical settings.
- Nursing and Allied Health Search TutorialA guide to all aspects of ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source including content, searching, and viewing results on the ProQuest platform.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowStatista offers over 1.5 million statistics and facts on more than 60,000 topics drawn from over 18,000 different sources, including market researchers, trade organizations, scientific journals, and government databases. The data is aggregated by a dedicated team of researchers and statisticians who are experts in the 20 market and industry sectors covered. For each data set, extensive source information is provided as well as several download formats for direct integration into various end products.
- Research Guide about Statistical InsightA quick overview to help you get started using Statistical Insight
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Keyword Searching and MeSH Terms
Keyword searching is the, "key" for successful searching. Synonyms can make or break your searching experience and without the exact term, you may struggle finding the resources you need. This is why it is so important to search using different synonyms. If you type in one term and you don't find what you are looking for, try searching for it under a different term.
If the topic is of a medical nature, you will want to use MeSH headings. "MeSH is the National Library of Medicine's controlled vocabulary thesaurus" - U.S. National Library of Medicine. Many databases use MeSH subject headings. Instead of using the term, "Senior Citizen," the proper MeSH term is: "Aged". The scope note can give you more details if you are unsure if you are using the term correctly. In this case, "Aged" is: "A person 65 through 79 years of age. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available."
Databases that use MeSH terms include (but are not limited to):
- PubMed
- CINAHL Complete
- Medline
- ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source
- MeSH: Medical Subject HeadingsThe NLM's curated medical vocabulary resource. MeSH is the National Library of Medicine's controlled vocabulary thesaurus. It consists of sets of terms naming descriptors in a hierarchical structure that permits searching at various levels of specificity.MeSH descriptors are arranged in both an alphabetic and a hierarchical structure.
- Module 1: Foundations of MeSH in MEDLINE®Tutorial on how to use MESH
Agriculture Librarian
