Finding Empirical Evidence

PUB5757 – Clinical Epidemiology

Research Workshop

Finding Empirical Evidence

PUB5757 – Clinical Epidemiology

Research Workshop

Lucia Ravi, LibrarianMedical and Dental LibraryLucia Ravi, LibrarianMedical and Dental Library

Workshop Purpose

•RCT Research Proposal

– Background research of the evidence

– Research methodology

•Journal Article Critique

– Study characteristics, critical analysis tools

PUBH5757 Assessment Summary:

Research Skills

– Construct an effective search strategy– Know what types of medical resources are

available and how to search them– Understand the different levels of hierarchies

of evidence; – Focus your search strategy on high level,

synthesised sources of evidence

Relevant Search Skills:

Search Strategy

What are the causes of poor diet in Australia?

Identifying key concepts, terms:

Unhealthy Eating Impact Australia

“poor diet” causesconsequences

reasons

Western AustraliaWA

Search Strategy

Your turn – activity 1

•Write out a broad research topic you are interested in researching

•Identify your key concepts and other similar terms that could be used to describe them

Use worksheet provided.

The Grey Literature

Finding grey sources: Guide link

Grey Literature Searching

Grey Literature sources:

•Australian Indigenous – Health InfoNet•AIHW – Australian Institute of Health & Welfare•WA Health Department – Health for…•wa.gov.au – global google search of WA Government•ABS – Australia Bureau of Statistics Topics @ Glance•WHO – World Health Organisation Heath Topics

•Jessica Tyndall’s “Databases for Research in Health”

Grey Literature Searching

Grey Literature Searching

Your turn – activity 2

•Look at one of the suggested Grey Literature sources or identify a source from the database listing

•Browse the site to identify if they have broad topics of interest to you, or carry out a simple search (try boolean)

•Think about how you might join them together to form a search string

Use worksheet provided.

Search Tips Grey Literature

Have a go:

Search one of the sources•AIHW •ABS•WHO

Identify one possible item, share with a neighbour

Contact the University Library

http://library.uwa.edu.au

9346 7570 – Medical and Dental Library

hmslibrarians-lib@uwa.edu.au

http://facebook.com/UWALibrary

@UWALibrary