Using NICE Evidence Search
Here you can find out about our training course on NICE Evidence Search and access online support materials on literature searching and using the NICE Evidence interface.
Our training session:
Our training session on Using NICE Evidence Search will show you how to access NICE Evidence Search and the resources it collates: the British National Formulary, Clinical Knowledge Summaries, SIGN, the Cochrane Library and Royal Colleges, Social Care Online and GOV.UK. The course will also show you how to use NICE Evidence to get quick access to ejournals, ebooks and healthcare databases.
Contact us to book a training session (01709 427139 rgh-tr.libraryhealthcare@nhs.net): we can deliver training via MS Teams/phone, and we are still able to offer some limited training in the library with social distancing in place: please contact us for further details.
Contact us to book a training session (01709 427139 rgh-tr.libraryhealthcare@nhs.net): we can deliver training via MS Teams/phone, and we are still able to offer some limited training in the library with social distancing in place: please contact us for further details.
Online support materials:
How to Literature Search Effectively
This series of short modules was produced by Learning for Health and Health Education England.
These modules are designed to help the healthcare staff build confidence to search published literature for articles and evidence relevant to their work, study and research. The modules are short (each taking no more than 20 minutes to complete) and may be ‘dipped into’ for reference, or completed to obtain a certificate. There are seven modules suitable for novice searchers and those wishing to refresh their knowledge:
Building the foundations
Module 1 Introduction to searching
Module 2 Where do I start searching?
Module 3 How do I start to develop a search strategy?
Developing the skills
Module 4 Too many results? How to narrow your search
Module 5 Too few results? How to broaden your search
Module 6 Searching with subject headings
Applying the skills
Module 7 How to search the Healthcare Databases (HDAS)
Using the NHS HDAS for Literature Searching Video
This series of YouTube videos is produced by NICE. They cover a full range of search functions of the software that allows NHS staff to access biomedical databases such as Medline, CINAHL and Embase.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRbwbc3dfXUO3IYIun-5ICK-Q059JXtgk
This series of short modules was produced by Learning for Health and Health Education England.
These modules are designed to help the healthcare staff build confidence to search published literature for articles and evidence relevant to their work, study and research. The modules are short (each taking no more than 20 minutes to complete) and may be ‘dipped into’ for reference, or completed to obtain a certificate. There are seven modules suitable for novice searchers and those wishing to refresh their knowledge:
Building the foundations
Module 1 Introduction to searching
Module 2 Where do I start searching?
Module 3 How do I start to develop a search strategy?
Developing the skills
Module 4 Too many results? How to narrow your search
Module 5 Too few results? How to broaden your search
Module 6 Searching with subject headings
Applying the skills
Module 7 How to search the Healthcare Databases (HDAS)
Using the NHS HDAS for Literature Searching Video
This series of YouTube videos is produced by NICE. They cover a full range of search functions of the software that allows NHS staff to access biomedical databases such as Medline, CINAHL and Embase.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRbwbc3dfXUO3IYIun-5ICK-Q059JXtgk
Using NICE Evidence Search
This guide summarises the resources available via the NICE Evidence Search main portal.
If you wish to undertake training on this or any other topic, please consult our Information Skills Training Timetable.
The NICE Evidence Search site provides you with an access point for a wide variety of healthcare resources; guidance, pathways, research, medicines information and Clinical Knowledge Summaries. It also gives you access to the journals and databases gateway. The main search box does not retrieve articles from the healthcare databases, such as Medline, CINAHL, etc. If you want to know how to use the healthcare databases to find a range of journal articles, please read the section on Effective Literature Searching.
Access to NICE Evidence Search is at this address: http://www.evidence.nhs.uk/
If you wish to undertake training on this or any other topic, please consult our Information Skills Training Timetable.
The NICE Evidence Search site provides you with an access point for a wide variety of healthcare resources; guidance, pathways, research, medicines information and Clinical Knowledge Summaries. It also gives you access to the journals and databases gateway. The main search box does not retrieve articles from the healthcare databases, such as Medline, CINAHL, etc. If you want to know how to use the healthcare databases to find a range of journal articles, please read the section on Effective Literature Searching.
Access to NICE Evidence Search is at this address: http://www.evidence.nhs.uk/
The web site is available from any computer with Internet access. Searching is free as are many of the documents you will retrieve. However, to access some resources, ebooks and journal articles you will need to register for an NHS Athens account.

Using the search box
NICE Evidence Search has a simple search box.
Enter search terms into the box and click search to retrieve a list of results.
The results will come from a range of credible medical resources and might include: systematic reviews, guidance and research.
You can narrow down the number of results you get by using the filters on the left hand side. Hover over each filter to see how many results you would retrieve in each category.
Click on these categories to filter your results.
NICE Evidence Search has a simple search box.
Enter search terms into the box and click search to retrieve a list of results.
The results will come from a range of credible medical resources and might include: systematic reviews, guidance and research.
You can narrow down the number of results you get by using the filters on the left hand side. Hover over each filter to see how many results you would retrieve in each category.
Click on these categories to filter your results.
Improving your search
It is possible to add different vocabulary and punctuation to your search to influence the kind of results you retrieve:
If you type more than one word in the search box, you will find articles in which all the words are contained. The more words you add, the fewer results you will find. However, the words won't necessarily appear near each other in the articles.
If you want to search for a phrase, keeping words together, use phrase marks " "
For example: "heart disease" "bowel cancer" "evidence based practice"
This will reduce the number of results you get, but they will be more relevant.
Acronyms, alternative spellings and plurals are automatically searched.
You can obtain a printed guide on how to use NICE Evidence Search from the Library and Knowledge Service.
It is possible to add different vocabulary and punctuation to your search to influence the kind of results you retrieve:
If you type more than one word in the search box, you will find articles in which all the words are contained. The more words you add, the fewer results you will find. However, the words won't necessarily appear near each other in the articles.
If you want to search for a phrase, keeping words together, use phrase marks " "
For example: "heart disease" "bowel cancer" "evidence based practice"
This will reduce the number of results you get, but they will be more relevant.
Acronyms, alternative spellings and plurals are automatically searched.
You can obtain a printed guide on how to use NICE Evidence Search from the Library and Knowledge Service.
Using the menus
The second level Evidence Search menu gives you access to the British National Formulary, BNF for Children, Clinical Knowledge Summaries and Journals and databases gateway:
The second level Evidence Search menu gives you access to the British National Formulary, BNF for Children, Clinical Knowledge Summaries and Journals and databases gateway:
The top level NICE menu provides links to the main services provided by NICE: pathways, guidance, standards and indicators: