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

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…

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

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)

Web searching caveats (cont’d)

World Wide Karaoke: everybody’s got a very cheap printing press

Appearances can be deceptive

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

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

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