About the Cochrane Library
Where to find the Cochrane Library
Searching the Cochrane Library
Search tips
Search results
Viewing records
Printing and saving reports
Printing and saving a list of citations print friendly version .pdf
About the Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Library provides over 2,000 full-text reviews of evidence-based research which evaluati the effectiveness of health care treatments and interventions.
There are 8 databases that can be searched simultaneously or a selection of databases can be made. The 3 most commonly searched databases are:
- Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Cochrane reviews)
Reports of the best available evidence to support treatments
- Database of abstracts of reviews of effects (DARE)
Published reviews by people outside the Cochrane collaboration
- Cochrane central register of controlled trials (CENTRAL)
Original source for published randomised controlled trials
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Where to find the Cochrane Library
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| from the Library's home page at http://www.utas.edu.au/library/ |
- Click on the Databases link under the heading Information Resources
- Click on C and scroll down the list, and click on Cochrane Library
- You will be prompted for your university email account name (name before the @ symbol) and your university email password
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| from the home page of the Cochrane Library |
- Click on the LOG ON button on the right hand side of the screen
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Searching the Cochrane Library
Once logged in to the Cochrane Library you are presented a single search box on the right hand side of the screen, with the drop-down menu preset to the search option Search All Text (see figure 1 below). This allows you to search across all the databases for a single search term or concept.
We recommend you click on the Cochrane Advanced Search link found under the single search box |
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Figure 1. Advanced Search link |
Figures 2 and 3 below show an Advanced Search screen
Figure 2. Advanced search screen
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- Type your different search concepts into the search boxes
- Select where you want your search terms to be found in the database records from the In: drop-down menu
- Select your joining word for your concepts from the drop-down menu (AND, OR, NOT).
See Search tips below for further information
- Click on the checkboxes to select which databases you wish to search
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| Figure 3. Advanced search screen |
- Scroll down the screen to see other restrictions on your search. You can choose the presence of commentaries or recently updated records
- You can add also add year ranges for the records
- Click on Search
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Search tips
The Advanced Search screen has its own search tips on the right hand side of the screen
| AND |
Example: arthritis and exercise. Both words must appear together in the database record |
| OR |
Example: exercise or movement. Either word can appear in the the database record |
| NOT |
Example: arthritis not sciatica. Retrieve database records that mention arthritis and do not mention the word sciatica |
| * |
Truncation symbol. Right hand truncation example: arthrit* will find words such as arthritis, arthritic
Left hand truncation example: *arthritis will find words such as arthritis, osteoarthritis |
| " " |
Phrase searching. Example: "exercise therapy". All words of the phrase must appear next to each other in exact order |
Search results
Figure 4 shows a sample search results screen
- Click on Record to view the database record, and any accompanying full-text reports
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 review report |
 newly added to the databases |
 protocol report |
 comment added to an existing database record |
 report has been revised with new information
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- Click on the checkboxes to create a list of citations to Save (Export) in a text file for printing, or into a bibliographic management software such as EndNote. See section Printing and saving a list of citations
- You can restrict your results by clicking on Reviews or Protocols
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Viewing records
When you click on Record in a results screen, you are presented a www version of the database record or full-text report (see figure 5 below). You are also given information on how to cite this database record in your own research or assignment.
- To see the scanned report click on the PDF link
- Click on the section links to see more of the report on the www
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Printing and saving reports
Printing full-text reports
- From the PDF version of the report, click on the
 symbol
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Saving full-text reports
- From the PDF version of the report, click on the
 symbol
- Follow your browser's prompts and save the file with a .pdf extension to an appropriate place on your computer or disk
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Printing and saving a list of citations
- From a results screen, click on the checkboxes of the citations to be printed or saved
- Scroll down the screen and click on the Exported Selected Citations button for selected citations, or
Export All Results to select all citations
- Follow the screen prompts to choose Export Type: Citation or Abstract and citation
- Select the computer file type, and click Go
- Click on Open to see your citations immediately for printing; or click on Save to keep a file on your computer or disk
- If you clicked on Save, follow the prompts to locate your file on the computer. Ensure that the filename has a .txt extension. Once saved, you can then open this file with your word processor such as Word
- If you clicked on Open for printing, your citations are viewed in a text window such as Notepad. Click on the File drop-down menu and select Print from the menu
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