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SPH COPHP MPH Program: Home

Research resources for the School of Public Health Community-Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP) Master of Public Health (MPH) program

Your Library

Health Sciences Library (HSL) 

Your library is the HSL, which has curated resources most helpful to health sciences researchers!

As a UW student, faculty, or staff member, you also have access to all University of Washington (UW) Libraries resources.

General Resources

Anti-Racism

Searching Basics

Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT

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Writing Assistance

Literature Review Help

Accessing Full Text Articles

Publishing

Run into a problem?

Get Started with Research

Citation Management

Start with a citation manager so you can track what you find:

Evaluating Information Quality

Check that the information you find is high quality and reliable, even when it is peer reviewed research.

Research: Background Info

Background information is typically found in books.

Research: Scholarly & Grey Lit

General guideline is to search at least three databases, you will likely search more and look to grey literature sources to ensure you fully understand the context of your topic and incorporate many perspectives. 

Scholarly Literature

What is it? 

Scholarly lit typically refers to journal articles published to enhance the field of study. It is also called "academic literature", "research", or "peer reviewed". 

When do I use it? 

When trying to understand a current or evolving issue. As background or historical information, although textbooks are often a better choice for established facts. 

How do I find it? 

In scholarly databases: 

Grey Literature

What is it? 

Information "produced on all levels of government, academics, business and industry in electronic and print formats not controlled by commercial publishing i.e. where publishing is not the primary activity of the producing body." (http://www.greynet.org/)

When do I use it? 

Anytime you're researching. Relying only on scholarly literature tends to center whiteness because white supremacy is embedded throughout the research process: "Most editors are white and/or from Western nations, and 66-80% of peer reviewers are also white." Learn more about researching through an anti-racism lens.

How do I find it? 

Tried for 15 minutes and can't find what you're looking for?

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Your Librarian

Hello! I am the Public Health and Research Services Librarian.

Health Sciences Librarians serve the University of Washington health sciences community by sharing information about library collections, services, department-specific resources, procedures for requesting new materials, and by supporting the teaching, clinical, and research needs of the UW health sciences community.

Librarian Presentations

Orientation

September 22, 2022

Friday Skills Session: Capstone Literature Review

May 13, 2022

2nd Year Cohort

October 7, 2021

1st Year Orientation

September 28, 2021

Health Sciences Library

Books on shelves in Library

The Health Sciences Library Mission is to advance scholarship, research, education, and health care by anticipating information needs, providing essential resources, and facilitating learning for the greater health sciences community.

Learn more.