Ann Watkins
Life Sciences Librarian
ann.watkins@rutgers.edu
23 August 2005

Research Resources: Subject Research Guides: Nursing:
Getting Started

A. How can I access library resources efficiently?

1. Libraries Homepage

Get access to library resources by finding the Rutgers University Libraries homepage. [http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu]

2. Online Catalog

Find the books, periodicals, videotapes, and information in other formats owned by the Rutgers Libraries using the IRIS online catalog. [http://www.iris.rutgers.edu]

3. Articles

Click on FIND ARTICLES on the sidebar and then Indexes and Databases to find articles in periodicals. (Note: All databases: Rutgers-restricted Access) Useful indexes include:

CINAHL (Nursing)
Medline (Medicine) To restrict your search to articles focusing on nursing, use Limit function to select "Nursing" under Journal Subset.
PsycINFO - Psychological Abstracts
PubMed - an expanded version of Medline. Publicly available so you will be able to use this index after you graduate.
Sociological Abstracts (Interdisciplinary) -- particularly useful for the social implications of medical practice and managed care

4. Periodicals and Journals

Click on IRIS and enter the periodical title, often identified in index search results as "Source," in the Basic Search box. Use the pull down menu to select "PERIODICAL TITLE begins with" and click on Search. IRIS will display an alphabetical listing of available periodical titles. Click on the periodical title of interest to you to view the holdings at the University Libraries.

As another option to find journal holdings at the University Libraries, you may also click on LinkSource in the periodical article citation in the index. LinkSource will display a brief citation and choices for electronic access. Select "Search the ISSN of this title in IRIS" to find out whether the journal title is owned by the University Libraries and the extent of the print holdings.

5. Tutorials

For more information on using the University Libraries' resources, please go to the sidebar on the University Libraries' home page and click on SEARCHPATH. Searchpath is a tutorial on information literacy that will help you develop a search strategy, use IRIS to locate books, find articles using an electronic index, and avoid plagiarism. Each section is interactive and includes a quiz. There is another tutorial available from RutgersOnline. It includes descriptions, instructions, and links to helpful handouts. [http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/ecollege/]

Rutgers librarians have developed a series of research guides and finding aids to introduce students to appropriate resources. The guides vary in the type of coverage. They can be broad and comprehensive or selective and highly specific. To review the list of research guides and finding aids, go to the sidebar and click on RESEARCH RESOURCES.

B. What are some good Web sites in nursing and related areas?

These sites usually include information on clinical practice, continuing education and certification, publications, the public policy supported by the organization, conferences, job listings and career planning.

1. Organizations

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)

American Nurses Association (ANA)

Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)

Emergency Nurses Association (ENA)

International Council of Nurses (ICN)

National League for Nursing (NLN)

National Student Nurses Association (NSNA)

Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing

Many more state, national, and international nursing organizations may be found on Nursing Organization Links

2. Government Sites

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Links to CDC publications and data, including many statistical publications.

healthfinder
A portal to government sites and resources for reliable health information.

National Library of Medicine (NLM)
NLM services, databases, images, and publications. Includes MedlinePlus, an excellent resource for carefully reviewed unbiased patient education material.

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
An Institute of the NIH, supporting "clinical and basic research to establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals across the life span."

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH news, information, and grant resources.

3. Metasites

Metasites collect large numbers of Web pages that provide broad coverage of a subject. The Web pages are authored by librarians, college of nursing faculty and staff, associations and corporations in the information industry. Metasites provide information for a wide audience, in this case, many groups within the nursing community.

Metasites usually use a subject listing as the access point to the Web pages. A more specific subject list may follow before the alphabetical list of Web pages is displayed. Brief annotations on a Web page's content and application have been supplied by the metasite compiler.

Hardin MD: Nursing and Nursing Research (Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa)
This list includes many international sites. The metasites are categorized by the number of Web pages, i.e. large, medium, and small.

HealthWeb: Nursing
Well-organized site which gathers authoritative Webpages on career information, clinical nursing, educational organizations and research.

Martindale's: The Virtual Nursing Center
Comprehensive and detailed list of links arranged by category. Author has been compiling site since 1994. Includes many helpful sites to support coursework.

Nursingcenter.com
Lippincott Publishing Company. Full text or abstracts of the Lippincott nursing journals, career information, discussion groups, shopping opportunities (!), and more.

Nursing on the Net: Health Resources You Can Use
Developed by librarians who work as training coordinators for the National Network of Medical Libraries under the auspices of the National Library of Medicine. Comprehensive and current list arrange by broad subject category.

Nursing Resources (University of California at San Francisco School of Nursing)
Includes sites of interest to advanced practice nurses and students. "Mirsky's best" includes sites on distance education, professional associations, funding sources and clinical practice, many of which Professor Mirsky has evaluated and annotated.

C. What are some good Web search engines?

Altavista
One of the earliest "industrial strength" search engines, and still one of the best in terms of coverage. Use the advanced mode to search using exact quotes.

Google
Unlike many other search engines, Google uses network assessment and evaluation techniques to "focus" a search rather than "scatter" it. Try it when you are looking for a few good sites rather than every possible site on a subject. I find that the failure rate for this engine is extremely low, but, of course, failure does happen. That is why you need multiple engines.

Yahoo
Yahoo provides a search screen and also a directory. After you click on Directory, you will have the option of searching. Enter nursing and, from the results, select the first nursing link for a comprehensive list of nursing web sites arranged by subject category.

D. Where can you find more information about searching and evaluating the Internet?

Evaluation of Internet Resources (Ka-Neng Au, Rutgers University)
Clear and to the point, with great links to other evaluation pages.

Evaluate Web Pages (Alexander and Tate, Widener University)
Alexander and Tate were pioneers in the art of formal Web page evaluation. They advocate five basic criteria (accuracy, authority, objectivity, coverage, currency) with variations in approach for different types of Web pages.

Internet Search Strategies (Rice University)
Information about search engines, searching techniques, and Web page evaluation.

MedlinePlus Guide to Health Web Surfing (National Library of Medicine)
Concise list of evaluation points with health related examples.

Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources (Esther Grassian, UCLA)
Presents an excellent checklist of criteria and questions relevant to Web page evaluation.

A User's Guide to Finding and Evaluating Health Information on the Web (Medical Library Association)
Authoritative advice from librarians who search for reliable web based information every day. Guide includes effective use of search engines, evaluation points for web sites and four annotated lists of important sites for consumer health, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.