The application of evidence-based midwifery practice in selected groups of specialists in health sciences is a subject frequently addressed in the currently available world literature. The aim of this study was to analyze the available, up-to-date world literature on the broadly understood subject of professional practice based on facts and scientific evidence in the group of midwives. The literature search was conducted by chartered librarians from the Main Library of Medical University of Warsaw. The analysis covered world scientific literature indexed in the following databases: EMBASE, PROQUEST, PUBMED, SCOPUS. It focused on articles in the English language from the years 2000 – 2013 (date of publication: 1 January 2000 to 12 November 2013). Only 16 publications concerning the professional group of midwives were found in the available world literature. Other 17 publications were found when the criteria were extended to items not indexed in world databases. The presented analysis of literature is based on 31 publications. The study provides a detailed analysis of, among others, (1) types of publications (systematic surveys, original articles, case study), (2) research subjects reported in world literature, (3) types of journals in which publications from the area of evidence-based midwifery practice appear (with the IF coefficient of the most influential authors and publications).

Key words: professional practice, scientific evidence, literature, midwives.