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EBP107 Evidence Based Practice

Step 6

Find Supporting Evidence

Your essay should include additional references to support your evaluation. This shows that you have read beyond your chosen article and understand how it fits into broader research in health science.

The marking guide rewards essays that:

  • Use credible, peer-reviewed sources
  • Show wide reading beyond the main article
  • Demonstrate understanding of research quality and levels of evidence (e.g., systematic reviews are stronger evidence than single studies)

Why You Need Supporting Evidence

  • Use additional references to support your evaluation.
  • Provide a referenced definition of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP).

Strong essays use reliable sources, show comparison between evidence, and demonstrate awareness of study design hierarchy.

Where to Find Supporting Evidence

Scopus AI

Scopus AI (in the Scopus database) can help you find related, trustworthy research. It summarises key studies and links to the journal articles it draws from.

  • Find important or highly cited studies about your topic.
  • Discover background information and definitions.
  • Generate useful keywords for searching in Scopus or other databases.

How to use Scopus AI effectively:

  1. Start with your article title or main topic.
  2. Use the Explain or Related Concepts features to explore background or study design.
  3. Review the Cited by list for influential or recent studies.
  4. Check each article for relevance, recency, and quality before citing it.
  5. Reference all supporting articles in APA 7th edition format.

Note: Scopus AI helps you find evidence but does not perform the appraisal. Continue using approved tools (CASP, JBI, CEBM, EQUATOR).

Other Key Databases for Evidence-Based Practice

Database Best For Tips
PubMed Biomedical and clinical research Use MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) for precise searching (e.g., using “Myocardial Infarction” finds heart attack studies).
CINAHL Complete Nursing and allied health Combine subject headings with keywords to find practice-focused studies.
Cochrane Library Systematic reviews and evidence summaries Useful for understanding levels of evidence and clinical effectiveness.
TRIP Database Clinical guidelines and summaries Good for finding practical, evidence-based recommendations.

Databases with PICO / PICOT Search Tools

Some databases include a built-in PICO or PICOT search interface to help structure your question using Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (and sometimes Time). These can make finding relevant studies faster and more accurate.

  • CINAHL Ultimate (EBSCOhost) – Has a dedicated PICO(T) search bar for entering Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time. Learn more.
  • Cochrane Library – Offers a PICO-based search interface for finding intervention reviews. Learn more.
  • EBSCOhost / EBSCO Discovery Service – Includes a “PICOT Search” option where you can enter all PICO(T) elements. Learn more.
  • TRIP Database – Supports PICO-style searching and is ideal for finding clinical and practice-based evidence. Visit TRIP Database.
  • PubMed – Does not have a labelled PICO search box but supports PICO-based search strategies and tutorials. Learn more.

Tip: If you are unsure which database to start with, try CINAHL Ultimate or TRIP Database first—they offer easy-to-use PICO search options.

Search Tips

Using a structured framework helps you plan effective searches and find the most relevant research. Use PICO for quantitative studies and SPIDER for qualitative studies.

PICO (for Quantitative Studies)

  • P = Population (Who is studied?)
  • I = Intervention (What is being tested?)
  • C = Comparison (What is it compared to?)
  • O = Outcome (What is measured?)

Example: “hypertension AND low sodium diet AND blood pressure”

SPIDER (for Qualitative Studies)

  • S = Sample (Who is involved?)
  • PI = Phenomenon of Interest (What experience or issue?)
  • D = Design (How was it studied?)
  • E = Evaluation (What was explored?)
  • R = Research type (Qualitative)

Example: “nurses AND burnout AND qualitative”

How to Structure Your Search

  • Use PICO or SPIDER to define your key concepts.
  • Combine keywords using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).
  • Apply filters for peer-reviewed articles, recent years, and full text.
  • Save your searches and export citations to build your reference list efficiently.

Tip for Success

Use both keywords (everyday terms) and subject headings (controlled vocabulary such as MeSH in PubMed) to make your search more complete.

Optional Extension: Interpreting Confidence Intervals (CIs)

Some studies include a confidence interval (CI)—a range showing how certain or uncertain the researchers are about their results. Think of it as a margin of error around the main result.

  • Narrow CI: more precise result (greater confidence).
  • Wide CI: less precise result (more uncertainty).
  • If the CI does not cross 1 (for ratios) or 0 (for differences), it is usually statistically significant.

Why This Matters

  • Reliability: How exact is the estimate?
  • Statistical significance: Is it unlikely due to chance?
  • Practical meaning: Is it important enough to affect patient care?<