Synopsis

This unit will help you to identify and use information in health and lifestyle, whether for your work, study or personal purposes. Experiment with some of the key resources in this subject area, and learn about the skills which will enable you to plan searches for information, so you can find what you are looking for more easily. Discover the meaning of information quality, and learn how to evaluate the information you come across. You will also be introduced to the many different ways of organising your own information, and learn how to reference it properly in your work. Finally, discover how to keep up to date with the latest developments in your area of interest by using tools such as RSS and mailing lists.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Learning outcomes
1.1.1 Assessing your current level of knowledge
1.1.2 Key resources
1.1.3 Searching for information on health and lifestyle
1.1.4 Evaluating information
1.1.5 Organising information
1.1.6 Keeping up-to-date
1.2.1 Planning your search
1.2.2 Choosing keywords
1.2.3 Basic principles
1.2.4 Checklist of common features
1.3.1 Introduction
1.3.2 Search engines and subject gateways
1.3.3 Books and electronic books
1.3.4 Databases
1.3.5 Images
1.3.6 Journals
1.3.7 Encyclopedias
1.3.8 Statistics
1.3.9 Internet resources
1.3.10 Allied health resources
1.3.11 Choosing the right tool for the job
1.3.12 Summary
1.4.1 PROMPT
1.4.2 P is for Presentation
1.4.3 R is for Relevance
1.4.4 O is for Objectivity
1.4.5 M is for Method
1.4.6 P is for Provenance
1.4.7 T is for Timeliness
1.4.8 Summary
1.5.1 Why is it important to be organised?
1.5.2 Ways of organising yourself
1.5.3 Desktop search tools
1.5.4 The 5 Ds
1.5.5 Social bookmarks
5.5 Copyright – what you need to know
1.5.7 Referencing
1.5.8 Bibliographic software
1.5.9 Plagiarism
1.6.1 Introduction
1.6.2 Alerts
1.6.3 Mailing lists and newsgroups
1.6.4 Blogs
1.6.5 RSS
1.6.6 Professional bodies and societies
Acknowledgements

 

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