| Contact | |
|---|---|
| Alison (Ali) Konieczny | |
| Phone: 231-591-3696 | |
| Office: FLITE 315 | |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Picking a Topic
- Finding Library Materials
- Starting your Research
- Finding Info. using FLITE Databases
- Obtaining the Full-Text of Articles
- Evaluating your Articles
- Health Assessment Tools Online
- Great Government Websites
- APA Citation Style Links
- Other Useful Library Links
NURS 310
Population Based Health Promotion Resources
Picking a Health Promotion Topic
If you're having difficulties picking a health promotion topic for your research paper, please visit these sites:- CDC Healthy Living
- Heatlh Finder.gov: Browse the Health A-Z list
- National Health Observance Calendar 2010, or see what they did in 2009
Finding Library Materials
The snapshot of the Library Homepage below highlights the Find menu which is a good starting point to find various library resources, such as books, articles, journals, subject guides, etc.
Starting your Research
You may want to start off by gathering background information from books, many of which are available online. Please see the Finding Online Books Guide.
After gathering background information on your topic, you will want to focus your search in general and research databases to find articles on your topic. When doing research from off-campus, you will need to log-on to use databases and other online resources licensed by FSU. Simply use your MyFSU username and password to log-on. For more information on off-campus database access, click here.
Finding Information using FLITE Databases
Health & Wellness Resource Center
This database is oriented towards consumer health information and is a good place to find resources relevant to the various health promotion topics. Information in this database includes medical encyclopedias, journal articles, pamphlets, videos, and health assessment tools.
Health Reference Center
Find information from academic journals, books, videos and podcasts, newspapers, and magazines. Be sure to check out the books for health promotion materials. The default search is a subject guide search - you can only search a single topic in this mode. If not finding desired topic, click on basic or advanced search. Also see the related database, General OneFile
General OneFile
This is a general database that will be useful for finding information on about any topic you can come up with! Start off using the Find Subject search box, and if you don't find your subject, use the search box at the top of the screen to search by keyword. Also consider switching to the Advanced Search that will let you limit your articles to particular journals, as well as to full-text, peer-reviewed, etc. Academic Onefile is a database that will have many similar articles, but will also have unique content, so try them both! Academic OneFile operates in the same manner as General OneFile.
CINAHL
The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL) currently gathers information from more than 1800 journals. Consider using the Advanced Search, and at the bottom of the screen you will see a limit for Special Interest, where you can select Public Health. Also, under Publication Type there are numerous limits that may be interesting, including: Consumer/Patient Teaching Materials, Questionnaire/Scale, Teaching Materials, etc. Use the CINAHL Headings subtab to get more subject-specific information on various topics. When you have found your subject heading, you may click on it to break your topic down by subdivision. Click on the Update Results link to the right of your records to add limits such as peer-reviewed or publication date limits. You can narrow and expand your search using the options available in this database.
PubMed
This is the largest biomedical database, with over 19 million citations. Search using keywords and then limit your search if necessary using the Advanced Search, related articles link, or selecting the Review link to see only review articles. Consider adding the following search phrase to your search - including the quotes, brackets, etc.:
("Health Promotion"[MAJR] or "Public Health"[MAJR])
Here is a sample search you can copy and paste into the PubMed search box, substituting your search term where smoking cessation is:
("Health Promotion"[MAJR] or "Public Health"[MAJR]) and (smoking cessation[Title])
Click here for a PubMed tutorial
MedlinePlus/Consumer Health: Another highly useful resource from the National Library of Medicine (as is PubMed), this resource provides reliable information oriented towards patients. Increase your ability to provide information to patients who do not speak English by using the vast resources in multiple languages available through MedlinePlus.
Obtaining the Full-Text of Articles
In some databases you will see an option for a Text version of the document or a PDF version. In general, the PDF version is preferable as it is most often a scanned version of the original and will therefore contain the graphics. When e-mailing, printing, or saving a group of articles, be sure to select the full-text or PDF option if available.
Some databases contain little full-text, but allow you to link out to Ferris' holdings or the interlibrary loan request form. You will notice the Find it! links following individual citations that will indicate the availability of the article online, in the library, or the need to interlibrary loan the article. Click on the Go button and you will be taken to the online version, library holdings record, or interlibrary loan form to obtain the article you desire. See the example below:
Sample Article Link-Out:
Evaluating your Articles
When writing research papers, scholarly articles from Academic Journals and other reliable sources, such as reference books should be utilized. There is a great article about Peer Review that you may want to read. For more help determining if an article is scholarly, peer-reviewed or refereed (those terms all mean the same thing), please click here. The databases discussed above can help you locate reliable information. If you are using websites as sources of information, be sure to evaluate the website. For more information on how to evaluate a website, please click here.
Health Assessment Instruments
Some online sources you may want to use for health assessment instruments include:- Health and Wellness Resource Center: Click on the Health Assessment tab to find multiple assessment tools
- Healthier U. S. Preventive Screenings
- Princeton University Health Services Online Health Risk Assessments
- NYU Online Psychiatry Screenings
Great Government Websites for Information on Community Health/Epidemiology
***Note: don't forget all of the useful government information linked from PubMed
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
US Department of Health and Human Services
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
National Center for Health Statistics
State Health Facts- Not a government website, but good source for state level info. and health care policies.
APA Guides
Printable 2 page APA Quick Style Guide:
Learn basics about APA style, a prevalent citation format in the medical field.
More links to APA Style for Online Sources
Other Useful Library Links
To find books, journals, videos, and other library materials, there are several resources to use. Beginning at the library's homepage, you will find links for locating all types of library materials.
Using the Find Menu from the top of the library's page, you can find:
- Books: Using the online catalog, beyond books, you can also find videos, government documents, course reserves, including your course textbook Health Promotion throughout the Lifespan. The online catalog is set-up so you can perform keyword searches, subject searches, title searches, etc.
- Articles. Using the library's databases, you can select Health and Medical Resources if you are specifically searching a health-related topic, or select other subject areas as necessary.
- Journals: Many journals are available online, but may also be in print or in microform. You can search by the full journal title, title words, or by subject.
- Online Encyclopedias, Handbooks, and other Reference Books: Search these reference books individually, or cross search a group of books using Facts on File, Gale Virtual Reference Library, Sage eReference Encyclopedias, or using our friend Stat!Ref.
Any more questions? Contact: Alison (Ali) Konieczny / Email / Phone: 231-591-3696 / Office: FLITE 315
Don't forget, you are welcome to come to the Oval Information Desk and ask for help any time. You can also call us 231-591-3602 or chat with us.
Last update: January 19, 2010