Health Studies: Books & Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia Databases & Health Encyclopedias

Gale Ebooks This link opens in a new window
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Full text encyclopedias in all subject areas.
(Tutorial: How do I Search in Gale eBooks? 2:19 mins.)

Sage Reference Online
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Full text encyclopedias and handbooks on many subjects.

Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
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Full text dictionaries, encyclopedias, and subject reference works from Oxford University Press.

Encyclopedias and other reference works provide background information and can give you a good overview of your research topic. The following is a selection of Health Studies related encyclopedias and reference works.

e-Book Collections: Collections by Subject
Includes Health and Medicine and a variety of other topics.

Single e-Book Encyclopedias titles listed below:

The Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health
Alphabetically arranged encyclopedia contains approximately 257 entries pertaining to important public health concerns. Topics include diseases and conditions, health and wellness efforts, nutrition, ethics and law related topics and statistics, sanitation issues, and everyday environmental effects.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Encyclopedia of Health Communication
From the dynamics of interpersonal communication between health professionals and clients to global command-and-control during public health emergencies that cross international borders, the field of health communication bridges many disciplines and involves efforts from the micro to the macro. It involves navigating personal, cultural, and political complexities and an ability to distill complex technical science into quickly and easily understood terms for ready distribution by the mass media--or to an individual patient or to the parent of an ailing child.
Encyclopedia of Health Economics
The Encyclopedia of Health Economics offers students, researchers and policymakers objective and detailed empirical analysis and clear reviews of current theories and polices. It helps practitioners such as health care managers and planners by providing accessible overviews into the broad field of health economics, including the economics of designing health service finance and delivery and the economics of public and population health.
Encyclopedia of Environmental Health
This work contains critical reviews and assessments of environmental health practices and research that have worked in places and thus can guide programs and economic development in other countries or regions.

UW Libraries Search

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Tips for finding books and more

Tips for searching for Health Studies books:

Use keyword search phrases: examples, global health funding, public health policy, mental health epidemiology
Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases or titles: example, "Ethical Dimensions of Health Policy"
Use truncation (*), which returns results with a root word and any ending: example, politic* (finds political, politically, politics...)
Use limits (the links along the left of your search results) to narrow the scope of your search (depending on your search terms, these may not always be present)
Search by Library of Congress Subject Headings, putting them in quotation marks: examples, "Health risk assessment"; "Urban health"; "Medical policy"; "Compulsory health insurance"; "World health"; "Community health services"; "Communication in public health." Click here for a complete list of LC Subject Headings pertaining to health.
Click Online Access or Available at... options to display item details (library location; call number, availability, etc.)
Use Advanced Search for complex searches and limits

Browsing for Health Studies Books

The Campus Library arranges books by Library of Congress call numbers. Below are the major sections for Medicine.

Subclass R – Medicine (General)
Subclass RA – Public aspects of medicine
Subclass RB – Pathology
Subclass RC – Internal medicine
Subclass RD – Surgery
Subclass RE – Ophthalmology
Subclass RF – Otorhinolaryngology
Subclass RG – Gynecology and Obstetrics
Subclass RJ – Pediatrics
Subclass RK – Dentistry
Subclass RL – Dermatology
Subclass RM – Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Subclass RS – Pharmacy and materia medica
Subclass RT – Nursing
Subclass RV – Botanic, Thomsonian, and Eclectic medicine
Subclass RX – Homeopathy
Subclass RZ – Other systems of medicine

For a more specific breakdown of the call numbers see the Library of Congress Classification Online.