Public Health Resources
Literature Search Strategies
For more guidance and information on how to search, go to the Literature Searching Services page. Remember, if and when you get stuck, don't struggle - contact us!
When you search for resources:
Think about your core concepts (exposure/outcome). Keep search terms simple, and pay attention to keywords and other terms you see referenced in relevant articles. You can use those terms if you need to revise your search.
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Evidence Pyramid
Public health evidence may not be available within some of the top level categories of evidence. Still, there are more systematic reviews being published within the public health literature, and successful evidence based public health relies on the “best” available evidence - essentially, you want to find the literature that’s as high up on the pyramid as you can, and which is still relevant for your research question.
Background Information (start here!)
- American Public Health Association (APHA)Search topics by keyword or under the "Topics & Issues" tab
- CDCExcellent first stop for background information on your topic. Search by keyword or find topics under the "Diseases & Conditions" and "More" tabs
- Library e-BooksSearch for e-books by title, topic or keyword.
- Medline PlusPortal to health information in plain language. Excellent resource for public: patients, families, caregivers...anyone! Also a good resource for health information in various languages.
- World Health Organization (WHO)Global health topics and data
- Prevention Agenda 2019-2024: New York State's Health Improvement PlanNew York State’s health improvement plan, the blueprint for state and local action to improve the health and well-being of all New Yorkers and to promote health equity in all populations who experience disparities
- Onondaga County Community HealthDiscover the biggest health issues facing the residents in Onondaga Community
Biomedical/Social-Ecological Literature (gather evidence)
- PubMed This link opens in a new windowMillions of citations to biomedical literature. Key resource for medical research.
- Scopus This link opens in a new windowInternational, interdisciplinary science database. Allows for searching scholarly literature across a wide variety of disciplines.
- Social Sciences Full Text This link opens in a new windowTopics include: community health, environment, ethics, family studies, gender studies, minority studies, and more. Excellent for representing how societal issues impact health.
- Environment Complete This link opens in a new windowCovers agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, renewable energy sources, natural resources, marine & freshwater science, geography, pollution & waste management, environmental technology, environmental law, public policy, social impacts, urban planning and more. Includes full text articles.
Public Health e-Journal Collection
- Public Health e-Journal CollectionAccess all of the public health journals we subscribe to in one easy location.
Health Interventions Appraisal
- Health EvidenceOver 8,000 quality-rated systematic reviews evaluating the effectiveness of public health interventions. Use the Advanced Search for best results
- The Community GuideEvidence-based findings for public health interventions
Open-Access Journal Resources (more "evidence")
- DOAJ (Database of Open Access Journals)Covers areas of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, arts and humanities from all countries and all languages.
- Frontiers InPeer-reviewed,open access journals that focus on current and innovative research in various areas of science, health, engineering, humanities and social sciences.
- Google ScholarLinks to articles on websites and in databases. Link Scholar to Upstate's library through the upper left corner menu (settings> library links> search Upstate Medical)
- PLOS OneCovers subject areas across science, engineering, medicine, and the related social sciences and humanities. Highly respected science resource, and free access for anyone.
- Science DailySnapshots of the latest in science news, written in plain language, with links to original research articles.
Finding Guidelines
- PubmedSearch the topic and add the keyword: guidelines
- TRIP Turning Research into Practice (TRIP)Medical DatabaseSearch by topic/keyword. Includes evidence-based search filter, a variety of study types, and major guideline groups (medical societies, UK national health summaries, etc.)
- Guidelines for the Primary and Gender-Affirming Care of Transgender and Gender Nonbinary PeopleFrom the UCSF Gender Affirming Health Program
How to read scholarly journal articles
- Art of Reading a Journal Article: Methodically and effectivelyThis is an often-cited article from PubMed on how to efficiently read medical articles. It offers useful tables and graphics that help aide understanding.
- How I read a Paper!From Sketchy EBM. This may be really helpful when you're in medical school and beyond. A shortcut to effectively and quickly reading a medical article. 4 minute video.
- Understanding Health Research: A tool for making sense of health studiesAnother article on the topic. Well written and easy to understand.
Website Evalution
- Trust It or Trash It?Quick, interactive tool to critically evaluate the quality of health information you find online - including websites, handouts, booklets, etc.
- SIFT & PICKEasy guidelines for verifying information online information
- Last Updated: Nov 15, 2024 3:07 PM
- URL: https://guides.upstate.edu/publichealth
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