Skip to Main Content
Monash Health Library
If you have an exact title add ti= (eg. ti=Emergency Medicine)

Literature Searching GuideClick here to chat with a librarian

The Literature Searching guide shows you how to complete an effective literature search from beginning to end. Use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate through the guide. 

Remember: the Library team provides a range of research support services to Monash Health employees and students. Attend a live webinar, book a research consultation, or request a literature search and get in touch with the Library team if you have any questions.

Once you have completed your search, combining all concepts with OR/AND, you may choose to refine further by applying filters to limit, or narrow, the focus of your results. You can use more than one filter if more than one is available. Common filters include date range, language, publication type, and full text. 

Considerations:

  • It is not advised to use the "Full text" filters. It prevents you from finding articles that may be accessed through other databases, or that you could request from the library.
  • Using too many limiters or poorly chosen limiters may restrict your results too much
  • Only use limits if it is part of your search strategy. You may have to justify any limit you add to your search, including the language and date limit.

Filters are usually found along the left-hand side of your search results. Notable exceptions:

Ovid platform – Medline, Embase, Emcare, PsycInfo

Limit by age group, date, language, clinical queries, publication type, full text etc. by clicking on Additional Limits button below the search bar. 

Cochrane Library

Limit by content type (review, trial, protocol), publication date, Cochrane group (subject area e.g. heart, injury, stroke etc.) by clicking Limits button on final search line. 


The library Databases page has user guides for a wide range of other databases. 

Databases and Apps A-Z

Monash Health acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung peoples, and we pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past, present and future.

We are committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment that embraces all backgrounds, cultures, sexualities, genders and abilities.