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Health Sciences: Finding literature in databases

Introduction to database searching

If you are searching for a topic or subject rather than a specific article you might like to search one of our databases. These often focus on a particular subject area or discipline and reduce the amount of results you receive from irrelevant subjects.

Databases are collections of resources such as journal articles and conference papers, and also sometimes book chapters and reports. If you are doing a literature search or systematic review they are a key resource to use.

There are two main kinds of database:

  • Bibliographic - they won't show you the full paper straight away, but you can often read an abstract and see the author details. You'll need to check with SFX if King's has access to the journal article
  • Full text - will let you open and read the article directly from the list of results

Databases and journal collections for health sciences

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with medical and health topics. For a more complete list of databases related to health subjects, visit the A-Z list of databases for Medicine:

New to using online databases?

Find interactive tutorials and put them into practice with the Finding Academic Information for Health modules in KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with anatomy topics and resources. For a more complete list of databases related to health subjects, visit the A-Z list of databases for Medicine:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of journals for browsing Bioscience topics. For a more complete list of databases and resources related to health subjects, visit the A-Z list of databases for Medicine:

  • Annals of Anatomy
  • British Journal of Pharmacology
  • Cell
  • Forensic Science International
  • Genome Research
  • Immunity
  • Journal of Physiology
  • Journal of Molecular Biology
  • Nutrition reviews
  • Pharmacology & Therapeutics
  • Physiotherapy
  • Trends in Neurosciences

Find these journals, and more on Library Search:

New to using Library Search?

You can find online tutorials on using Library Search to find books and journals around your subject. Find them in the Getting Started With Your Studies section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with nursing & midwifery topics. For a more complete list of databases related to health subjects, visit the A-Z list of databases for Medicine:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with psychology, psychiatry & neuroscience topics. For a more complete list of databases related to health subjects, visit the A-Z list of databases for Medicine:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Get help online with our Forum

New to using KLaSS forums?

Make sure you're enrolled on KLaSS by using the link below:

Getting the full text

If a database lists something you want to read but does not provide the full text look for a button that says 'SFX@King's' Image of SFX button. SFX will look up the article you have clicked to check if King's subscribes to its journal. 

King's doesn't subscribe:

Submit an Inter Library Loan for the item. Learn how to submit an Inter Library Loan in the Getting Started With the Library section of KLaSS:

I can't see the SFX button

If the SFX button is not available then you should use Library Search to see if the article or book is available through another database.

New to using Library Search?

You can find online tutorials on using Library Search to find books and journals around your subject. Find them in the Getting Started With the Library section of KLaSS: