Bibliographic databases are reference only databases. They yield information on the
authors, title, source and abstract of a paper or reference. They usually indexed using
a controlled language or subject headings. They are the most common type of
database.
Examples include Medline, Embase, Social Citation Index
The advantages of using a bibliographic database for evidence-based practice is their
comprehensiveness and ease of access. Medline is available free from the National
Library of Medicine in Washington USA. Their disadvantages include a high false
positive hit rate and the lack of full text articles necessitating the use of additional
library resources
Value added databases are distinguished from bibliographic databases by having
comments on the quality of the article or information. Some value added databases
try to assess the implications of the information in a review or study for clinical
practice.
Examples of value added databases include The Cochrane Library (Cochrane database
of systematic reviews) and Best Evidence
The advantages of value added databases in providing information for evidence based
practice include the availability of full text and the comments on quality and
implications for practice. The systematic reviews are of particular use as they are a
very high level form of evidence. The disadvantages of value added databases
include their lack of comprehensive cover of medical topics and full text versions are
usually subscription only