Module 3: Health

Home Page
and Quick Links

Module 1
Steps of Research

Module 2
Research Strategies

Articles & Databases

• Academic Search Ultimate Links to an external site. is multi-disciplinary database providing information for nearly every area of academic study. Video tutorials (Links to an external site.)
• BioMed Central  (Links to an external site.) is an STM (Science Technology and Medicine) publisher of peer –reviewed open access journals. 
   (Links to an external site.)
• Public Health (ProQuest) Links to an external site. provides access to the core literature in the field of public health. Coverage also includes a wide variety of disciplines ranging from social sciences to business to biological sciences.
• PubMed Links to an external site. comprised of citations for biomedical literature from Medline Links to an external site., life science journals, and online books. Video tutorials (Links to an external site.)
  
• ScienceDirect Links to an external site. contains electronic book and journal titles covering the fields of science, technology and medicine. Video tutorials (Links to an external site.) 

For more databases:

1. Go to Database Finder Links to an external site. (click Health and Medicine or any other subject of interest)
2. Visit Public Health subject guide Links to an external site..

_______________________________________________

Federal Web Sites

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Links to an external site.) for health statistics, travelers' health guides, information on diseases, and health topics. 
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Links to an external site.) homepage for background and regulatory information about treatments, food and cosmetics, and radiological health.
• Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) for dietary guidance information for health or disease control.
• US Preventive Services Task Force (Links to an external site.) for recommendations from an independent group of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine.
• Healthfinder.gov (Links to an external site.) for consumer health information and tools.
• USA.gov (Links to an external site.) for links to more government health information.            

For more health web sites, visit Public Health subject guide Links to an external site..

Evaluating medical/health information on the free Internet:

• MedlinePlus Evaluating Internet Health Information (Links to an external site.) Video tutorial (National Library of Medicine)
• How to Find Good Information Online (Links to an external site.) Podcast (AHRQ: Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research)

_______________________________________________

Health and Medical Statistics

To find statistics, check the Health and Medical Statistics subject guide Links to an external site..

Keep in mind that sources used to compile health and medical data include:

• Clinical studies - prospective and retrospective
• Medical literature (journals)
• Hospital discharge records (National Hospital Discharge Survey)
• Government records showing amounts spent on Medicare and Medicaid
• Insurance company records
• Censuses
• Death investigations by coroners and medical examiners
• Surveillance by public health departments and universities
• Reports from clinics, hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare practitioners by the Centers for Disease Control and other health-related agencies
• Sampling and surveys by the National Center for Health Statistics and other agencies
• Disease registries
• Interviews

_______________________________________________

Questions? 

For assistance developing your research strategies, or finding resources for your topic, or any other questions, please contact public health specialists:

Nedelina Tchangalova, nedelina@umd.edu (UMD Libraries, College Park). Profile Links to an external site. 
Eileen Harrington, eharring@umd.edu (Priddy Library, Shady Grove Library). Profile Links to an external site.