This document provides an overview of clinical research basics and medical literature. It discusses the importance of conducting literature reviews to avoid duplicating previous work and inform the research methodology. It describes the differences between journals, textbooks, and databases. Several common medical databases and research engines are listed, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane. PubMed is described in more detail, outlining how to access and search it using keywords, filters, Boolean operators, and truncation. Steps for developing a strong research proposal are also outlined.