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

Organized lists of links n There are official organizations and agencies associated with most public health issues n In many cases, these agencies have developed well-organized, filtered sets of links to on-line resources n See, for example, the CDC Diabetes Home Page [ n Key: finding that first list of links…

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

Caveats about Web searching n Much of what is useful and on-line is not accessible via generic Web searches ä Real databases require specific queries (e.g., MedLine, CDC WONDER, Hazdat) ä Some database services require subscription and fees (e.g., ToxNet, Nexis) n 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) n World Wide Karaoke: everybody’s got a very cheap printing press n Appearances can be deceptive

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

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

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