Journal literature on disease treatment may be found in many different ways. One way is to go directly to the journal stacks and browse specific titles that you know cover particular diseases. Many articles on a specific disease will focus on its treatment. A better way to find relevant articles is to use either the print indexes or computer databases. In addition, some textbooks and most journal articles will include bibliographic references to other journal articles. You may also have a librarian perform an intermediated search for you. There is a fee for this service.

Browsing specific journal titles

Most journals have brief annual subject and author indexes. Journals that are published monthly usually have these indexes in the December issue. Journals that are published more frequently may also provide indexes in the June issue. Use the online catalog to find out what journals we have in different disciplines, don't forget to try surgery and rehabilitation. For a list of journals on a particular subject, include the word "periodical" after the disease term when performing either a MESH or Words/Subject search. You can also perform either a MESH or Words/Subject search on your term and then limit your search to journal material. The journals in Dykes Library are arranged alphabetically by title.

You may connect directly to the online catalog from here.

Searching print indexes for journal articles

The best indexes for articles on disease treatment or therapy are Index Medicus and CINAHL. You may want to also look at the other indexes the library subscribes to. When you have selected an index, look in its list of subject headings for the treatment or therapy you are interested in. If there is a subject heading, then look in the subject section of the index under that heading. If there is not a subject heading for the specific treatment or therapy you are looking for, then look for a subject heading for the disease or disorder you want to treat. Look in the subject section of the index under that heading. Then scan the entries for the subheadings that are specific to treatment. These subheadings are: diet therapy, drug therapy, prevention & control, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, therapy, and sometimes nursing and surgery. Subject headings and subheadings vary depending on which index you use. If an index does not have a subject heading for the disease or treatment you are interested in, look for the heading for an appropriate broader category, such as communicable diseases for an infection or the type of procedure a specific treatment would fall under . You will then need to scan the entries and look for the disease, treatment or procedure in the article titles. Index Medicus has a subject section that indexes only review articles. It uses the same subject headings that are used in the other parts of the index. One good review article may contain all the information you need. You may want to look in several indexes. The print indexes index more journals than the library subscribes to. When you find an article you want, be sure to check the online catalog to be sure the library has the journal.

Searching computer databases for journal articles

These instructions are for use with the Ovid search interface. The best databases for articles on disease treatment or therapy are MEDLINE and CINAHL. Use the database to find the appropriate subject term for the name of the disease you are interested in treating and select the specific treatment subheadings (diet therapy, drug therapy, prevention & control, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, therapy, and sometimes nursing and surgery) that you want to search. If the disease does not have a specific subject heading, search for it by keyword (kw). The computer will search for any mention of your term. Then combine the set for your disease term with other terms such as treatment, therapy, rehabilitation or surgery. If any of your searches retrieve too many citations, use the limit button to narrow your search by language, publication year, review article, human, etc. You may want to search several databases. The databases index more journals than the library subscribes to. When you find an article you want, be sure to check the online catalog to determine whether or not the library subscribes to that journal.

top of page