Tips for Using:
SPH Portal
When to Use Textbooks
As you approach your research question, you will first want to determine which types of sources to consult. Remember consulting textbooks (both in print and electronic formats), journal literature, information from the Internet and experts are all viable options.
Text books are most appropriate for:
Generic, broad-based, background-oriented questions
- Example: How are international relief efforts coordinated?
Consult: Natural Disasters: Protecting the Public's Health - Example: What are the symptoms of malaria?
Consult: ACP's PIER: Physicians' Information and Education Resource - Example: How many hospitals are in Kentucky?
Consult: Health United States, 2005
Definition questions
- Example: What does the acronym DALY mean?
Consult: Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries - Example: What is the medical definition of obesity?
Consult: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine