Introduction
Have you ever asked any of these questions when working on an assigned project?
"I thought there was lots of information out there, but I can't find what I'm looking for."
"My instructor gave me an assignment but didn't tell me where to start."
"I am overwhelmed with information; how do I find the best sources?"
"I know the information exists, but I can't access it."
As a health professions student and later as a health care professional, you will be asked to make informed decisions about treatment and diagnosis, clinical research design, and health policy and administration. You will be required to back up these decisions with solid information located through research. You will often need to locate this information fast. You will be expected to use the latest, or most current information, and you will also be expected to base your decisions on the highest quality information available. How will you find this information? You might ask "Can't I just get the information I need off the web?" I always find the information that I need on the web and I'm good at searching it.
About this lesson
In this lesson, you will acquire the skills to locate strong sources to support your research papers. We will explore choosing the best resource to meet your information need: books, journal articles and/or web materials, and then we will review how to identify the best sources for your paper or project. Of course, there will be a few exercises to put knowledge into practice!
What to do
- Read through all the pages of this website.
- Answer the practice questions at the end and email your answers to the librarian assigned to your class.
- Ask questions when you have them!
