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Guide to the Literature of Paramedic Practice

This guide is aimed at students and researchers in paramedic practice. It summarises the key sources and types of information. If you have any comments or additions please contact Matt.Holland@nwas.nsh.uk

Scholarly Journals

Use scholarly/peer-reviewed and professional journals to find up-to-date information on a topic. Scholarly journals typically report original research, articles are reviewed by experts (peer-reviewed) and they adhere to high standards of quality and conformity to accepted research practice. Professional journals report news of professional interest and professional practice. The UK journal for paramedic practice is the Journal of Paramedic Practice.

The core set of journals relevant to paramedicine are listed here. For some journals, access to partial full text is provided through NICE Evidence Search - Journals - A-Z list. Click through and search for the journal title.  Some titles are available as Open Access, which means you can click straight through and see the full text. No User Name or Password required.  Individual articles in all these journals can be requested through LKS ASE Request and Article ServiceSee also Databases.

Peer Reviewed Journals

Available from LKS ASE

British Paramedic Journal

Emergency Medicine Journal

Prehospital Emergency Care

Resuscitation

Other relevant journals

Academic Emergency Medicine [ Home Page ] [ NICE Evidence Search - Journals A-Z List ] Requires Open Athens

Air Medical Journal [ Home Page

American Journal of Emergency Medicine [ Home Page ] [ NICE Evidence Search - Journals A-Z List ] Requires Open Athens

Annals of Emergency Medicine [ Home Page ]

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine [ Open Access ]

BMJ Military Health [ Home Page

Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine [ Home Page ] [ NICE Evidence Search - Journals A-Z List ] Requires Open Athens

Critical Care Medicine [ Home Page

Disaster and Military Medicine [ Home Page ]

Emergency Medicine – BMC [ Open Access ]

Emergency Medicine Australasia [ Home Page ]

Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America [ Home Page ]

Emergency Medicine International [ Open Access ]

European Journal of Emergency Medicine [ Home Page ]

Internal and Emergency Medicine [ Home Page ] [ NICE Evidence Search - Journals A-Z List ] Requires Open Athens

International Journal of Emergency Medicine [ Home Page ] [ NICE Evidence Search - Journals A-Z List ] Requires Open Athens

Journal of Emergency Medicine [ Home Page ]

Journal of Emergency Nursing [ Home Page ] [ NICE Evidence Search - Journals A-Z List ] Requires Open Athens

Journal of Emergency Public Health Care [ See Australasian Journal of Paramedicine ]

Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery [ Home Page

Journal of Trauma Management & Outcomes [ Open Access ]

Open Access Emergency Medicine [ Open Access via Dove Press ]

Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine [ Open Access

Trauma (Sage) [ Home Page ] [ NICE Evidence Search - Journals A-Z List ] Requires Open Athens

Professional Journals

Access to the full archive of Journal of Paramedic Practice (UK) excluding the last 12 months. [ Home Page ]

JEMS - Journal of Emergency Medical services (USA) [ Home Page ]

Scholarly and Peer Reviewed Journals - an explanation

Why are journals so important, who they are aimed at, what they are for, how to get the best from them and why you would want to read them.

Introduction

The journals described here are referred to as scholarly, academic or peer-reviewed journals. This reflects their origins in university departments, research centres, and scholarly or professional societies. The term Peer reviewed refers to the process by which articles are assessed before being published. Experts - peers or equals of the author - assess each article submitted for quality, accuracy and the contribution of the researcher to the topic. Poor quality articles are rejected. Articles that are accepted are usually revised by the authors in the light of comments made by expert reviewers.

Peer-reviewed journals and communities

Peer reviewed journals serve specific communities of practitioners or researchers. Communities are usually represented by professional societies. For example, Prehospital Emergency Care is the official journal of the (American) National Association of EMS Physicians. The European Journal of Emergency Medicine is the official journal of European Society for Emergency Medicine. The British Paramedic Journal is published on behalf of the College of Pramedics.  Even if journals are not published on behalf of a particular organisation they are published for a specific audience. The Emergency Medicine Journal, published by the BMJ Group, "is aimed at doctors, nurses, paramedics and ambulance staff." Statements about the intended audience for a journal are always published on the journals web pages.

Channels of communication

Peer reviewed journals are the main channel of communication between researchers and the wider community.  For the reader, peer reviewed journals are the source of good quality research and the place to find the most recent research as it is published. Anyone interested in a specific topic should regularly review the most recent issue of relevant peer reviewed journals.