Databases are structured, subject-specific tools for searching for information (generally journal articles, but can include other information sources). If you are doing an in-depth search, it is better to use these rather than LibrarySearch or a general internet search engine. They can search through high-quality information more effectively.
Some databases can be accessed free on the web. Others are paid for by your University.
Accessing databases through your university
Each university maintains a list of databases which can be accessed by students and staff. The links on these pages are checked and updated regularly.
There are hundreds of databases available, but you don't need to use all of them! However, if you are doing an assignment on a highly specialised topic, or carrying out a literature review, you may need to go beyond the core databases mentioned on this page.
Help is at hand! See the More Databases page for a much longer list of useful health-related databases. See also the On the web page for various websites which can help you locate documents such as guidelines, policies, statistics etc.
These are the most well-known and well-used databases for health and medical care. See the More Databases page for a much longer list of useful health-related databases available to you.
You may also find this video about MeSH terms useful. MeSH is a tool used by databases such as Medline/Pubmed and the Cochrane Library.