Ways to find medical information on the Internet. Academic Library of the Medical Faculty CU

Transcription

1 Ways to find medical information on the Internet

2 Web search tools Directories Search engines Metasearch tools

3 Things to know about subject directories Assembled by teams of editors who are specialists in their subjects Hierarchically organized by subject category Sometimes offer an option of searching by keyword

4 When to use subject directories When you are just beginning your search and have only a general idea of a topic. When you are interested in a broad range of information rather than a specific piece of information. When you are looking for a list compiled by an expert. This helps eliminate irrelevant pages and ensures quality results.

5 Directories we recommend General Directories Yahoo Health Sciences Directories HealthWeb Diseases, Disorders and Related Topics

6 Things to know about search engines Compiled by automated programs that continuously search the Web for new and updated sites Vary in method, type and amount of material indexed Vary in relevancy of achieved results Operate by entry of keywords

7 When to use search engines When you have a specific topic When you want to combine relevant terms

8 Search engines we recommend Google Allthweb

9 Things to know about meta-search engines Provide a single interface that enables users to search many different search engines, indexes and databases simultaneously. Do not offer the same level of control over the search interface and search logic as individual search engines.

10 When to use meta-search engines When you want to get a general idea of what documents you can find with your terms. A good strategy at the very beginning of your research.

11 Meta-search engines we recommend: Metacrawler Ixquick

12 How to search a topis Choose a topic Develop a search strategy Identify information sources Choose a database to search Search a database

13 How to find books To find books held by our library, go to the Academic Library homepage at and select Online Catalog. From the catalog menu, select Author or Title or Subject and initiate search. If your search retrieves, a number of titles will be displayed. Click the link to display records.

14 Bibliographic record of the book

15 Locating a book in library The Location line tells you which CU library has your item. The Signature line is the "address" of the book in the library. To find where an item is located in Library. The Status line tells you if the item is available or, if it is checked out.

16 How to find free articles Recommened website: FINDARTICLES HTML Text Full text will display in a format understood by your browser. If the original articles include images, charts, etc. they won't display in this format. Sometimes "HTML Text with graphics is available for articles with images. PDF Text Full text will open in Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is free software that you can download and install on your computer. This format preserves the original layout and graphics.

17 Searching medical databases PubMed is the most important database of medical literature is produced by the National Library of Medicine in the USA is available via the WWW: PubMed - free, open access, very powerful database

18 PubMed Bibliographic database covering the field of medicine, nursing, dentistry, the health care system, and the preclinical sciences Database is daily updated Over 75% of PubMed includes abstracts There are currently more than 17 million records dating from 1950 to present

19 General tips to help with your online search Did you check your spelling? One small spelling error can make a huge difference. Are you using the right kind of search? Author and title searches look for known items. A keyword search looks for your terms anywhere in the document. A subject search will look for terms in a predetermined set of subject headings. This works good if you choose the right subject term; if not, you may get zero results. It's a good idea to browse subject headings if possible.

20 Logical operators Using"and" will find all your words, but they may appear in different parts of the document and in any order (hytertension and therapy). This will narrow your search. Using"or" will find either term and maybe both (therapy or treatment). This will broaden your search. Using "not" will exclude a concept (AIDS not HIV), will exclude documents containing the word HIV" and make your search more focused.

21 Evaluating sources Authority (What are the author's references?) Accuracy (Is the information reliable?) Objectivity (Does the information show bias?) Currency (Is the information dated?) Coverage (How in-depth is the information?)

22 Authority Who is the author? Check a biographical source, if possible. What are the author's credentials? Does the source list the author's occupation, affiliation, position, education or years of experience? Can you find a critical review of the author's work?

23 Accuracy Can the information be compared with other sources? Is the information reliable? Is the source edited by a reputable organization?

24 Objectivity Who is the intended audience? What is the purpose of the information? Is it to sell a product or to promote a political opinion? Is there advertising accompanying the source? Does the source represent a balanced view, or can you detect bias? Can you find a critical review of the source?

25 Currency Includes the source a publication date or a "last updated date Is the date relevant to the type of information presented?

26 Coverage Does the source provide information relevant to the subject or to your needs? Is it written in language you can understand? Is this source too general or too specific for your needs?

27 Some examples of medical interesting Websites World Health Organisation National Library of Medicine Cancer Net from the National Cancer Institute Cochrane Collaboration Medical Textbooks