Physical Therapy Research 

Monday-Thursday: 7:15-8:00
Friday: 7:15-4:00
Saturday: 10-4
Sunday: Closed

Welcome to the research guide for Physical Therapy. Use the tabs above to link to 

Please take advantage of the library's many services! Our reference librarians are available to provide research assistance in searching databases, finding resources in the library, critically appraising the literature, and using AMA format for citing sources.

• Summarize Topic: Clearly state your topic in 1 or 2 sentences then identify 2 to 3 main ideas or concepts. For example: Exercise for patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
  

• Keywords, Terms & Phrase: Once you've identified the main ideas of your topic, think of synonyms, search for MeSH (Medical Subject Headings), or other keywords and phrases that describe the topic. When searching databases or the Web, enclose phrases in quotes, "ankylosing spondylitis". If acronyms are used such as VAC search also the full-name in quotes: "vacuum assisted closure"
  

• Set Limits: Article databases allow you to limit your search results in various ways. Some limits include:
  

• language
• type of publication (case study, clinical trials, journal articles)
• full-text
  
• gender, age groups
  
• published date
  

• Word Truncation: Examine each term for various forms of its root. Most databases use the symbol * or # at the end of the root. For example measur* will retrieve: measuring and measurement.Find the correct truncation symbol used by the database by clicking Help.