Karl Mundt Library: EXS 145: Starting Out

Purpose of Guide

This guide will provide you with information as you conduct research for your introduction course.

Topics covered include:

►Databases and resources to find articles.

►Directions on how to get the full text of articles.

►Discussion on evaluating information.

►Tips on how to read a scholarly paper.

Health Information for the General Public

The general public faces a more difficult situation when judging the quality of health/medical information, because they often search the open web where anyone can place any information.

When selling something is the motive, beware.

Read this blog post: Butter In Your Coffee and Other Cons: Stories From a Fitness Insider

Consumers, who lack the expertise of health professionals, should use known trustworthy sites aimed at the general public such as those listed below:

MedlinePlus
Provides health articles for consumers (the general public) rather than peer-reviewed articles for professionals. Browse an alphabetic list of "Health Topics" or use the search box to search for articles. This resource is designed to assist the public in locating "appropriate, authoritative health information sources," with emphasis on information available from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Mayo Clinic Health Information
For consumers ( so more understandable by the general public) Mayo Clinic provides this browseable and searchable set of articles on various health conditions, including symptoms and treatment.
HealthFinder
HealthFinder is a U.S. federal government website that provides high quality health information for consumers. It includes a browseable "Health A-to-Z" which is an encyclopedia of diseases, syndromes, etc.