EBM Reviews is one of the evidence based practice databases that you can access via the CSU Library. It enables you to locate evidence based practice information resources, specifically secondary pre-appraised research which is considered the higher level of evidence in evidence based practice.

EBM Reviews can be accessed from the Library's Dentistry & Oral Health Journal Databases Page.

When using EBM Reviews  – Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, and DARE we recommend that you use the Advanced search option.

To access the Advanced Search mode, click on the Advanced Search heading in the Search Panel.

The Advanced Search mode supports complex searching including truncation, Boolean searching, and proximity searching.

Let's say we are looking for information on the following topic:  (dental caries OR tooth decay) AND prevent*...  

The use of the OR operator will ensure that the search is for one or other of those terms. The use of round brackets ensures that the two OR combinations are done before the AND operator is applied. The use of the asterisk* forces a search for all terms that start with that string of letters.

The results screen shows

• Your search history
• The search panel
• A Results Manager bar
• A list of terms used in the search
• Various ways to “filter” the search just run.

Each record has links, in the right column, to different displays of the record, including to any full-text that is available. The actual formats of display, and the terminology used to describe these, vary according to the database in which the record is held.

Examining a systematic review record from the results list:
We can recognise a Systematic Review record because its source is EBM Reviews – Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

A Systematic Review record is available in various views, which you can select either at the top of the results list (Title / Citation / Abstract), or in the right column (Table of Contents / Abstract Reference / Complete Reference). The default view is that of Citation.

You also get the options to look at similar items and at citing articles.

The full-text of the Systematic Review is also available: please note that Ovid calls these Topic Reviews.

 Other types of articles that may be found in the results list:

ACP Journal Club

We can recognise an ACP Journal Club record because its source is the database EBM Reviews – ACP Journal Club.

The default view is to Citation, with other options available in the right column.

Note that the Complete Reference view of this record shows that it is an abstract and commentary on the article “Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies and randomised trials" in the BMJ.

While the full-text of the original article is not available here, the full-text of the commentary, as published in ACP Journal Club, is available. OVID calls this an EBM Article Review.

DARE (Database of abstracts of Reviews of Effects)

Once again the record is presented in its Citation form, with other options available in the right column.

The Complete Reference shows that this is a structured abstract of the article “Topical fluoride for the prevention of dental caries in children: a systematic review” in the journal Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine.

And, again, while the full-text of the original article is not available here, the full-text of the commentary, as published by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination is available. Again, OVID calls this an EBM Article Review.

Open the OVID EBM Reviews database and try searching for the keywords – (dental caries OR tooth decay) AND prevent*, entered as in the example above.

Alternatively you could try searching for the search terms or key concepts you identified from your own assignment topic.

Remember to select the Advanced Search option before entering your search terms.

Note: You may need to sign in first with your CSU username and password.