SPH COPHP 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.
- Public Health Toolkit'Quick start' toolkit with resources for scholarly and grey literature.
General Resources
Anti-Racism
- Anti-Oppression ResourcesGuide by Stacy Collins.
- Conducting Research Through an Anti-Racism LensGuide by Shanda Hunt and Amy Riegelman.
- Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous PeoplesEbook by Linda Tuhiwai Smith.
- Racial Justice ResourcesGuide by Bethany Barelman, Chelsea Riddle, and Theresa Mudrock.
- Anti-Racism and Community Health (ARCH) CenterGuide by Je Salvador and Nikki Dettmar
Searching Basics
Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT
- PB&J example.
- Basics of Searching video (example in PubMed) by Julie Nanavati.
Disable Smart Quotes in Microsoft
- Research about the consequences of straight and curly quotation marks in search methodology.
Writing Assistance
Literature Review Help
- How to Write a Literature ReviewBasics of writing a literature review by Scribbr.
- Odegaard Writing & Research Center (OWRC)Schedule an appointment to review your paper before submission.
- HSL Writer's GuideWriter's guide for health sciences researchers.
- Writing ResourcesList of resources for writing academic papers.
- Twenty Steps to Writing a Research ArticleArticle by Beth A. Fischer and Michael J. Zigmond, Survival Skills and Ethics Program, University of Pittsburgh.
- Avoiding PlagiarismGuide by Scribbr.
Accessing Full Text Articles
- Always start from the library's website.
- This connects you with UW Libraries subscription resources.
- Without this step, you will hit more paywalls.
- Off-campus Technical Support
- Ordering Articles not within the UW Libraries' Collections
Publishing
- Publishing ResourcesLearn more about publishing in the health sciences.
- Connect with CollaboratorsGuide to finding collaborators and networking.
- Author Impact FactorGuide to impact factors.
Toolkits
Run into a problem?
Get Started with Research
Citation Management
Start with a citation manager so you can track what you find:
- Select a citation managerHow to choose a citation manager.
- Citation Manager AssistanceAsk for help with your citation manager.
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.
- Public Health BooksList of books about public health.
- Course ReservesFind resources placed on reserve by your instructor.
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:
- EmbaseBiomedical and pharmaceutical journals and conference proceedings.
Help guide.
Instructional video by Leslie Gascon. - Google ScholarJournal articles, conference proceedings, and more using Google's search algorithms.
Connect with the UW. - PsycInfoAcademic, research, and practice literature in psychology and related disciplines.
Guide to finding qualitative studies.
Instructional video series by Julie Nanavati - PubMedMajor index to articles covering all aspects of medicine.
Help guide
Instructional video series by Julie Nanavati. - Web of ScienceMultidisciplinary database covering journals in the sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities, with searchable cited references.
Help guide
Search fields. Recommend searching Topic field to search for terms in the title, abstract, and author keywords.
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. Many current and historical methods of conducting research have created and propagated health disparities. Only by actively taking a critical look at who is being accurately represented in research and the ensuing literature can we improve our research and systems.
How do I find it?
- PAIS Index Social and public policy literature.
Data Sources
- PolicyMap Online mapping with data on demographics, real estate, health, jobs and more in communities across the United States.
Tried for 15 minutes and can't find what you're looking for?
Health Sciences 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.