1 / 8

Finding what you need on the World Wide Web

Finding what you need on the World Wide Web. Informatics Training for CDC Public Health Advisors. Organized lists of links. There are official organizations and agencies associated with most public health issues

keiji
Download Presentation

Finding what you need on the World Wide Web

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Finding what you need on the World Wide Web Informatics Training for CDC Public Health Advisors

  2. Organized lists of links • There are official organizations and agencies associated with most public health issues • In many cases, these agencies have developed well-organized, filtered sets of links to on-line resources • See, for example, the CDC Diabetes Home Page [http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/ddt/ddthome.htm] • Key: finding that first list of links…

  3. Search engines • Both better and worse than library card catalogues • Different engines, different results • Results not necessarily ranked by relevance • Better engines allow very complex searches, can search newsgroups as well as WWW--worth your while to explore

  4. Caveats about Web searching • Much of what is useful and on-line is not accessible via generic Web searches • Real databases require specific queries (e.g., MedLine, CDC WONDER, Hazdat) • Some database services require subscription and fees (e.g., ToxNet, Nexis) • Much of what is useful and in print is not available on-line at all (e.g., most full-text, peer-reviewed articles)

  5. Web searching caveats (cont’d) • World Wide Karaoke: everybody’s got a very cheap printing press • Appearances can be deceptive

  6. Tips for weighing your “catch” • Use common sense • Use traditional means, e.g., from JAMA: • Authorship (names, affiliations, credentials) • Attribution (for all references and sources) • Disclosure (of Web site ownership, sponsorship, etc.) • Currency (date that content was posted, updated) • Use knowledge of URL anatomy

  7. Beyond the web • Newsgroups are wild, chaotic, bizarre, but sometimes the best source for intense, timely debate • Automated mailing lists are often richer and more focused, but can be time-consuming • Focused “news feeds” should become possible soon, allowing automated, customized information assembly

  8. Web search strategy “pearls” • Whenever possible, use organized lists of pointers assembled by authoritative organizations • Be aware of the strengths and limitations of search engines; get to know one or two engines well • Caveat Lector et Viewer • Don’t forget databases, newsgroups, lists • Know when to quit, i.e., when to call for help from a librarian or subject matter expert

More Related