Penn State University Libraries - Critically Appraised Studies

Step 2: Find

• Summaries
• Critically Appraised Studies
• Individual Research Studies
• Textbooks
• Search Assistance
• Readings

If a systematic review, summary of evidence or practice guideline is not available for your clinical question, the next best source for evidence is the critical appraisal of individual research studies. Generally, reviews of the biomedical literature are done for quantitative research studies, but nursing reviews may also focus on qualitative research studies. Learn more about the different types of research studies in Step 3.

• Produced by the American College of Physicians
• Provides access to over 2000 critical appraisals of clinical research articles
• Editors screen top clinical journals for relevant, methodologically sound studies

Search the ACP Journal Club (Penn State & Hershey)

• Produced by nurses for nurses
• Focuses on evidence-based practice nursing issues
• Special features: “Purpose and Procedure,” “EBN Notebook,” and a glossary of evidence-based health care terms

Search the Evidence-Based Nursing Journal (Penn State & Hershey)

• Evidence-Based Medicine
• Evidence-Based Mental Health
• Evidence-Based Health Care — search Evidence-Based Health Care at Penn State