Nursing Research

Guide to background information and evidence-based practice resources for nursing students.

Searching by Level of Evidence

TRIP Database searches filtered/unfiltered information simultaneously.  

Evidence Raters

EvidenceUPDATES is from BMJ and McMaster Univ.   First, click REGISTER to complete the free registration. 

Along with abstracts, research staff rate the research based on newsworthiness and relevance to clinical practice.  You can read the comments from the clinical raters to get a sense of what to look for when evaluating evidence.

Levels of Evidence

Ask, "What is the level of evidence?"  Is the level of evidence adequate to implement a change or start a new program?  Your instructor can provide you with specific instructions about the level of evidence to be used in your class. One way to depict the levels of evidence is through a pyramid.  The highest quality of evidence is at the top and as the picture shows, there are fewer resources at the top than at the lower level.  The following is just one example of an evidence pyramid.

Image of Evidence pyramid.

Hierarchy of Evidence Videos

This video provides an overview of the hierarchy of evidence, an explanation of the more common types of evidence, and tips on how to identify where a source fits on the pyramid of evidence.