Important Books
Quick Reference Dictionary for Physical Therapy by Call Number: RM696.5 .Q53 2013 ReferenceISBN: 9781617110702Publication Date: 2012Specialized dictionaries can help identify correct terminology or vocabulary used in advanced database searching
Delee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine by Call Number: online access with UWL loginISBN: 9781455742219Publication Date: 2015
The Physiotherapist's Pocketbook by Call Number: RM725 .K46 2018 ReferenceISBN: 9780702055065Third edition.
The Color Atlas of Physical Therapy by Call Number: Reference RM725 .C65 2015ISBN: 9780071813518Publication Date: 2015
The Rehabilitation Specialist's Handbook by Call Number: RM735.3 .R68 2013 ReferenceISBN: 9780803639065Fourth edition.
Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation by Call Number: online access with UWL loginISBN: 0323549667Publication Date: 2019
Books
- Library CatalogExample Catalog searches:
- Keywords: Electrophysiologic testing of nerves and muscles
- Subject browse: physical therapy, Biomehanics
LC call number ranges: QM1-695 (Human Anatomy), RM695-893 or RM930-931
Extensive, broad, and deep works on a topic
- UW System Resource SharingA fast way to get books, videos, etc. (not articles) from libraries within the UW System.
- WorldCat (OCLC) This link opens in a new windowA union catalog of the holdings of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide (including UW-Madison but NOT including UWL or other UW libraries), with listings for more than 670 million books and other items. Books and other materials identified in WorldCat can be requested using Interlibrary Loan.
- Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad)Request materials not found in Murphy Library.
Journal Literature
Articles published in journals are the primary formal communications of research findings.
The databases listed on this page focus on different areas of the literature and are excellent places to start a PT literature search. Please schedule a consultation if you have a specific research topic, and you would like some advice on either getting started or building a good search strategy.
Getting to the full text: FindIt!, Journal Seach, Interlibrary loan Service
- MEDLINE with Full Text (U.S. National Library of Medicine & EBSCO) @ EBSCOhost This link opens in a new windowEssentially equivalent to PubMed from the National Library of Medicine, but with full text for select journals. Authoritative information on medicine, nursing, dentistry, the health care system, pre-clinical sciences, and much more. Over 4,800 current biomedical journals are indexed; full text for 1,470 journals. Uses MeSH (Medical Subject Headings). Incorporates PREMEDLINE, OLDMEDLINE, AIDSLINE & more.
- CINAHL Plus with Full Text (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowCovers over 4,600 nursing and allied health journals, with full-text articles from more than 350 active, non-open access journals. Coverage includes nursing, biomedicine, alternative/complementary medicine, consumer health and other allied health disciplines. Also covers health care books, nursing dissertations, selected conference proceedings, standards of practice, audiovisuals and book chapters. Contains continuing education modules, research instruments records, evidence-based care sheets, and quick lessons as well.
- SPORTDiscus with Full Text (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowProvides citations and abstracts to periodical articles, books, conference proceedings, and research papers. Includes full text for 530 journals. Topics covered include sports medicine, exercise physiology, biomechanics, psychology, training, coaching, and physical education.
Note: This resource is limited to 4 simultaneous users. If access is unavailable, please try again later. - ClinicalKey (Elsevier) This link opens in a new windowA point-of-care resource for health care professionals designed to provide clinicians with answers quickly. Includes a wide range of content types to satisfy clinical information needs: books (1,000+), journals (500+), videos (13,000+), practice guidelines (2,000+), images, patient education handouts, and drug monographs. Images can be exported directly to PowerPoint slides.
Note: User must register and login to download PDFs - Health Professions Databases via EBSCOhost This link opens in a new windowThis cluster of EBSCOhost databases allows you to search 14 health professions databases at one time including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Health Source databases, PsycINFO, and more. Note: Be aware that when searching multiple databases at one time, unique features of individual databases will likely lose their functionality. Please visit the Health Professions page for links to other essential health/medicine resources.
- Alt HealthWatch (EBSCO) @ EBSCOhost This link opens in a new windowIncludes about 50 active journals and magazines focused on complementary, holistic and integrated approaches to health care and wellness, including the evolving practice of holistic medicine and therapies.
- APA PsycInfo (American Psychological Association) @ EBSCOhost This link opens in a new windowCovers 2,400 journals as well as book chapters and dissertations in psychology and from related behavioral and social sciences including: artificial intelligence, business, education, law, linguistics, medicine, neuroscience, pharmacology, political science, social work, sociology, sports
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
PubMed is a free service from the National Library of Medicine containing citations and abstracts of articles, primarily in the fields of biomedicine and health. It includes the MEDLINE database and additional life science journals and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. - Science Citation Index Expanded (Clarivate) @ Web of Science This link opens in a new windowFully covers over 9,500 scholarly journals across 128 scientific disciplines. Specializes in cited reference searching for comprehensive identification of later works that have cited an article published in one of the covered journals. Part of the Web of Science Core Collection database. Coverage: 1900-present.
- Google ScholarGoogle Scholar is essentially made up of scholarly material, some of it will be free or for purchase.
If you find an article but need to pay to access it, copy/paste the title into Murphy Library's main search box on the homepage ("search@uw) and you may be able to access it for free. If not, consider requesting it through InterLibrary Loan.
- Cochrane Library (Wiley) This link opens in a new windowThe Cochrane Library is a regularly updated collection of evidence-based medicine databases that brings together relevant research on the effectiveness of healthcare treatments and interventions. It can be used to inform healthcare decision-making for hundreds of medical conditions, plus related topics such as injury prevention. The Cochrane Library is recognized worldwide as a source of high-quality, independent evidence for healthcare interventions.
- Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO) @ EBSCOhost This link opens in a new window
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A comprehensive database containing full-text academic journals, magazines and periodicals plus reports, books and videos covering virtually every discipline. Includes thousands of English-language and native-language full-text journals from Asia, Oceania, Europe and Latin America.
CINAHL examples
keyword search: video game therapy
Why so few hits? It's interpreted as a phrase...
Use the database-suggested subject headings to improve upon this search.
Example Subject search: “caloric expenditure during interactive video games versus sedentary video games”
Other Important Databases
PEDro is the Physiotherapy Evidence Database. PEDro is a free database of over 26,000 randomised trials, systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines in physiotherapy. For each trial, review or guideline, PEDro provides the citation details, the abstract and a link to the full text, where possible.
REHABDATA, produced by the National Rehabilitation Information Center, is the leading literature database on disability and rehabilitation. The database describes over 80,000 documents covering physical, mental, and psychiatric disabilities, independent living, vocational rehabilitation, special education, assistive technology, law, employment, and other issues as they relate to people with disabilities. The collection spans 1956 to the present. REHABDATA results may also include abstracts from the international research collection, originally developed by CIRRIE. More than 120,000 documents are abstracted in this database. NARIC adds approximately 4,000 items to REHABDATA each year, including 1,000 international research documents.
Subject Librarian
Encyclopedias
Introductory topical articles written by subject experts. Bibliographies list the most important articles and books ever written on the topic (to date).
Index term example: carpal tunnel
Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health by Call Number: RT21 .G353 2013eb ONLINEISBN: 1414498888Publication Date: 20133rd ed.
v. 1-6
Citing your Sources
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: the official guide to APA style by Call Number: BF76.7 .P83 2020 Ready ReferenceISBN: 9781433832161Seventh edition.
2 copies
The Murphy Library Cite Sources guide offers much additional help...