Before you begin searching, have a think about your research question and consider what type of evidence will be most useful to you in answering it. There are lots of different types of information, and different questions will require different types of research.
Have a think, too, about the purpose of your search. Are you doing some initial background research on a topic you don't know much about? In that case, you'll likely want to begin by looking for textbooks, review articles, clinical guidelines, or point-of-care tools like BMJ Best Practice. Alternatively, you may be doing some more in-depth research for a specific, focused research question, for which you will likely need a range of up-to-date sources including journal articles.
Have a look at some different types of information, and the types of question you may wish to ask, in the diagram below. Further information can also be found in the sub-pages in this section - use the menu on the left-hand side to access them.
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