Some key Health Sciences databases are listed below.
Have you got a smart phone or tablet? Did you know that many of our key databases are also available via mobile? When you look up the database in the Health Sciences database list and it has this icon: : then it's available for iPhone /iPod or iPad or Android.
Access Neurology Comprehensive neurology resource covering the basics to specialty-specific content.
Includes access to Kandel Quarterly - literature reviews of current neuroscience topics.
Evaluating and thinking critically about sources of information are important skills to develop and apply while undertaking research.
Not all information is reliable and appropriate for academic work, and not all information is relevant to your particular topic.
You should challenge and reflect on information that you find; don’t just accept everything you read.
Work through this tutorial to develop your skills in evaluating information that you find online:
Or apply these terms to assess if the information you have found answers your research question.
Currency
Reliability
Authority
Purpose/Point of view
Work through this tutorial to develop your skills in evaluating information that you find online:
SIFT - Evaluating Information Tutorial
Even though the library databases are good sources of information, we still need to evaluate that information before we decide to use it. You can do this by asking the following questions:
For more information and resources, check out the ‘Evaluating information: additional resources’ box at the bottom of this page.
Find out how to get the most out of PubMed by using the tutorials below:
Remember to always access Google Scholar through the Library webpage - that way you are recognised as a student from the University of Otago and you are given access to all our subscriptions.
Follow the [PDF] link or Otago Article Link on the right-hand side to get the full text of the article.
Before you start searching the databases, it helps to take time to plan your search.
Step 1: Clearly define the topic or research question
Step 2: Divide the topic or question into separate key concepts
Step 3: Select alternative search terms and synonyms for each concept
Step 4: Consider using text word symbols such as truncation and "phrase searching"
Step 5: Select search terms to combine using Boolean logic - AND, OR, NOT
Step 6: Select relevant databases via the Library homepage or your Subject Guide
Step 7: When searching a database look for subject heading options
Step 8: Run text word searches to complement subject heading searches
Step 9: Review the results and modify your search strategy as required
These tutorials are designed to provide a basic introduction to searching the databases.
If you can't access an article online, search the journal title in Library Search | Ketu to see if the issue you need is in print.
If the article is not available at Otago, use the Library's free Interloan Service and have it delivered from another library to your desktop.
If you find a great article on your topic, you can use a citation database to track down related articles.