LibGuides: Preventive & Social Medicine: Journals & Databases

Looking for articles on your topic?

The quickest way to find articles on a specific topic is by searching a relevant database. The University Library subscribes to hundreds of databases, but we recommend the ones listed below as a starting point for students and researchers.

Some provide only citations for articles, so look for the Article Linker button, or try one of the methods described in the column on the right to access a copy.

Databases

These are some core biomedical databases.

These are just some key databases relevant to searching for clinical information. (Hover over the title to see information about the resource.)

Note that the University does not subscribe to UpToDate. Trainee Interns (6th year medical students) will be able to access UpToDate through the hospital network.

BMJ Best Practice This link opens in a new window
A clinical decision support tool for health professionals that provides access to the latest research evidence, guidelines and expert opinion in a single source. BMJ Best Practice includes differential diagnosis tables, treatment algorithms, videos of common clinical procedures, integrated evidence from Cochrane Clinical Answers, over 250 medical calculators and more.
DynaMed This link opens in a new window
A clinical reference tool that represents the best available evidence drawn from medical journals and systematic evidence review databases. The content is written by a world-class team of physicians who synthesize the evidence and provide objective analysis. New information is integrated into existing content daily.
AccessMedicine This link opens in a new window
AccessMedicine includes 130+ books and other resources including drug monographs, case studies, multimedia and study aids from the major health publisher McGraw-Hill. Included among the books are Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine and Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment.
AccessMedicine: Clinical Sports Medicine Collection This link opens in a new window
The Clinical Sports Medicine Collection includes instructional videos demonstrating anatomy and the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. The collection also includes access to Brukner & Khan’s Clinical Sports Medicine textbook.
AccessNeurology This link opens in a new window
AccessNeurology provides access to authoritative, trusted, and current information on neurology and neuroscience reference, research, and teaching.
B-QuiCK (BPAC Quick Clinical Knowledge) This link opens in a new window
B-QuiCK provides short clinical summaries from some of the full articles available on the BPAC website (https://bpac.org.nz/). Relevant sections from these resources have been condensed into “notepad pages” or algorithms designed to offer rapid access to practical clinical advice and knowledge. A link to the full article is included at the end of each summary; it is strongly recommended to review the original resource at your convenience for full details of recommendations and evidence.

ClinicalKey Clinical Overviews (subscribed resource)
These provide easy-to-scan, actionable information for clinicians on diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, screening, and prevention of diseases and conditions.
Orthobullets

These databases can only be searched using keywords (author words).

If you find a great article on your topic, you can use these citation databases to track down articles that cite that particular article. (Hover over the title to see information about the resource.)

These tutorials are designed to provide a basic introduction to searching the databases.

Acland's Video Atlas of Human Anatomy This link opens in a new window
Acland’s Video Atlas of Human Anatomy presents more than 300, 3D rotational gross anatomy videos featuring real cadaver specimens. The specimens have not been embalmed and therefore retain the colour, texture and mobility of the living body.

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 or the Database list and it has this icon: : then it's available for iPhone /iPod or iPad or Android.

Other Preventive Medicine databases

Index New Zealand This link opens in a new window
New Zealand database for general interest material, social research, current affairs, and the arts and humanities. Updated daily, INNZ provides citation access to articles published in New Zealand and South Pacific newspapers and journals from 1987 to the present.
Informit Health Collection This link opens in a new window
Content includes research articles, reports and case studies of practical support to anyone studying or working in therapeutic, diagnostic and preventative health roles. Many titles included in the Collection are unavailable elsewhere online, including journals dedicated to specialist and current topics of interest such as ageing and age care, child health and breastfeeding, indigenous health issues, mental health and rehabilitation.

Looking for a specific article?

If you already have a citation for the article that you are looking for,

e.g. Hancox, R. J., and R. Poulton. "Watching television is associated with childhood obesity: but is it clinically important?." International journal of obesity30.1 (2005): 171-175.

There are 3 easy ways to find a copy. These are listed below.

1) Find an article Library Search | Ketu

There are two options for finding articles using Library Search | Ketu

1. To find an article from a citation. Search for the "Title of the article" (within quotation marks)

2. To find the Journal:

Search the library catalogue for the Title of the Journal (usually underlined or in Italics)
Do a Basic Title begins with search and limit to Journals
The journal may be held in print, electonically, or both
Browse to find the correct year/volume and page numbers

Watch this short video on how to use Library Search | Ketu.

Need more help? Use this guide.

What is Article Linker?

Article Linker links article databases to the Library's e-journal collections. It tells you whether (and where) the full-text of an article is available.

You may see Article Linker represented as: or Article Link.

2) Find an article using Google Scholar

You can use Google Scholar to find an article from a citation:

Try searching Google Scholar for the "Title of the Article" (usually within quotation marks)
Follow the Article Link links in your results list
Follow the Article links to go directly to a copy of the article.

Google Scholar Tips & Tricks [pdf]

Off-Campus? It is very helpful to link to Google Scholar from the Library's list of databases: doing so will link to our electronic journals.

3) Request a FREE copy with the "Get It" Interloan service

If you need an article that is not available via a database that the University of Otago subscribes to, or in print form in the library, request a free copy using the Get It Interloan service:

Interloan service
The Interloan service enables library users to search for items, create requests for items not held in the University of Otago Library, and monitor the progress of those requests.