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Beginning Your Research
Reading about your topic in a specialized encyclopedia, dictionary, or handbook may be one of the most effective and time saving research tips. These resources can help you define unfamiliar terms, understand the parameters of current debate in a particular area and provide you with a preliminary bibliography on the subject. Here are a few online sources to get you started. For more, search CRUZCAT, the library's catalog, by keyword.
National Library of Medicine Gateway
This may be a fruitful place to begin your research. The NLM Gateway allows users to
initiate searches from one Web interface, providing "one-stop searching" for many of NLM's information resources or databases. This is a quick way to get links to specific articles, books, encyclopedia entries, and other types of information. For more precise searches, or for resources outside of NLM's, see the links below.
Medical Encyclopedias/Dictionaries 
See also Drug Information | Off Campus Access | Minimum Browser Recommendations
MedlinePlus-dictionaries
Links to medical dictionaries, encyclopedias, and glossaries.
Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy
Merck is dedicated to providing reliable, easy-to-use medical information.
Lab Tests Online
A public website on clinical lab testing brought to you by several professional societies representing the professionals who do the tests.
NCBI Bookshelf
A growing list of online, full-text biology/medical books selected by the National Library of Medicine.
:: Gale Virtual Reference Library [UC only]
Not finding what you need? Email a reference librarian.
Journal Articles
See also ERes (Electronic Reserves) | Off Campus Access | Minimum Browser Recommendations
PubMed UC Version [UC only] - Editor's Choice!
1950-present. For medical articles - this is the place to go. For the most up-to-date access to peer-reviewed articles on an incredible variety of biomedical topics, including medical research, genetics, bioinformatics, physiology, oncology, nursing and more. Use this customized UC version of PubMed to link directly to full-text articles and e-journals licensed by UCSC, to link to listings of print journals available at the UCSC library, and to order free document delivery for articles not owned locally (UC affiliates only). If you don't see the  button in the Abstract display, you are not in the customized UC version!
PubMed Quick Guide
Web Of Science (Science Citation Index) [UC only]
1900-present. This is an index to journal articles that includes all subject areas, which makes it a good choice for health care policy topics. This database also allows you to search for citations to a particular article. You look up the reference to an article that you know about to find more recent journal articles that have cited it. Cited reference searching is a unique way to trace ideas and subjects from past research into the present day. Unfortunately this database does not include any conference literature.
- Complete list of Science & Engineering Databases available to UCSC users.
Not finding what you need? Email a reference librarian.
Alternative Medicine
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine [UC only] - Editor's Choice!
Natural Standard
[UC only] - Editor's Choice!
A collaborative database that aggregates and synthesizes data on complementary and alternative health therapies, including herbs, supplements, and alternative modalities (accupressure, acupuncture, chiropractic, yoga, etc.). The information provided is evidence- and consensus-based and peer-reviewed. Many of the topics covered include a concise Natural Standard monograph that is based on analysis of scientific literature, historic/folkloric precedent, and expert consultation, and contains information on effectiveness, side effects, interactions, dosing, pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Alternative
Nutrition Resources
This site offers resources on subjects such as: dietary
supplementation, traditional Chinese medicine, herbs, and phytochemicals.
Organizations that have included sites are Alternative Health News Online
and NIH. There is also a large list of subjects to get information on such
as: aging, diets, and food products.
National Center for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Established in 1998 as a part of the National Institutes of Health,
the NCCAM has as its overall mission to "give the American public reliable
information about the safety and effectiveness of CAM practices."
Cancer
California Cancer Registry (CCR)
This organization collects information on almost all of the cancers
diagnosed in California. This site offers a data set of California cancer incidence and mortality ratesthat includes data by site, sex, race/ethnicity, county, and year. Interactive maps of counties are also shown.
National Cancer Institute
International Agency for Research on Cancer
IARC is part of the World Health Organization. Their many databases are particularly noteworthy.
Children's Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
A listing of articles under the health topic infants and children.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Children's Health Protection
This site provides information on two subjects, children's
environments, which covers topics such as: the air children breath and the
food children eat, and childrens health, which offers information on
subjects such as developmental and neurological problems.
KidsHealth
This website has three sections to find information: parents, kids,
and teens. Within the sections you can find information on general health,
infections, and nutrition as well as resources that allow children and
teens to ask questions and seek advice on their own.
MedlinePlus-Child and Teen Health
A list of links concerning children and teen health, including
attention deficit disorder, adoption, and child safety.
Men's Health
MedlinePlus-Men's Health
Men's Health from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Men's Health from the Mayo Clinic
Seniors' Health
MedlinePlus-Seniors' Health
A list of links concerning senior's health including arthritis, heart
failure, and proper exercise.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
American Social Health Association
(ASHA)
This web site has links to facts and answers about STD's, ASHA and CDC
hotlines, and available programs and resource centers. There is also
a site offering facts
and answers about STD's. This link offers information and
an introduction to STD's, a sexual health glossary, STD statistics,
and a search site.
AIDSinfo
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a search engine
that provides drug information on federal and privately funded HIV/AIDS
clinical trial information, and a central resource for federally-approved
treatment guidelines for HIV and AIDS. To find a clinical trial go to this
link.
Critical Path AIDS Project
This is a supersite on AIDS related topics.
HIVNET
This site was established by The National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The mission of the HIV Network for Prevention
Trials (HIVNET) is to carry out HIV prevention efficacy trials. HIVNET
evaluates the safety and effectiveness of promising interventions to
prevent the transmission of HIV between sexual and/or needle-sharing
partners, as well as from mother to baby during pregnancy and at birth.
The primary aim of these studies is to measure the effect of prevention
interventions on reducing the number of new HIV infections.
Women's Health
See also Female Physiology
American Medical Women's Association health topics (AMWA)
This link provides information on health topics pertaining to women.
MedlinePlus-Women's Health
A list of links concerning women's health including domestic violence, birth control, and infertility.
Women's Health in Primary Care
A list of sites containing information for health care professionals, patients, or both.
Additional Health Topics
MedlinePlus-Health Topics - Editor's Choice!
This link is a searchable database of websites on a wide variety of
medical conditions. Broad topics are listed on the first page including
cancers, sexual health, pregnancy, substance abuse, and many others.
Healthfinder -
Editor's Choice!
An extensive searchable database of online health publications,
clearinghouses, Web sites, self-help groups, government agencies, academic
centers, and nonprofit agencies.
Medical
Research for Non-Medical People - Editor's Choice!
A virtual library of health information targeted toward people who are
not trained in the medical sciences. An especially good link from this
page helps the public
evaluate health
Web sites.
American Medical Association
A listing
of available information on this site, some subjects include: consumer
information, ethics, and available journals.
Argus Clearinghouse: Health & Medicine Evaluated Links
This site has information on subjects ranging from abortion,
bioethics, AIDS, cancer, homeopathy, psychology and women's health.
CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service
You can use this site to find a wealth of information related to
clinical trials, such as a listing of more than 41,000 industry-and
government-sponsored clinical trials as well as new drug therapies
recently approved by the FDA.
County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency (HSA)
This site offers information on government programs, low-income
health-care services, help for drug-abuse, and many other topics
pertaining to health. Also available in
Spanish.
Eating Disorder
A library research guide to eating disorders.
Health Care Information Resources
This site offers links to Health Sites, sites on Illness and Alternative medecine, and a search engine.
Healthtouch
A search engine you can use to search through health information
documents and drug information documents.
HealthWorld Online
This site provides information on subjects such as health conditions, herbal medicine, and a link to get referrals and
find
a health professional.
Land of Medical Links
This site covers more than 800 professional associations and foundations and a total of more than 6000 medical links.
Lyme Disease Information Resource
Clinical information on Lyme Disease from Centers of Disease Control
(CDC). Includes a map of the United States showing areas of high, moderate, and low risk.
Internet
Public Library: Health & Medical Sciences
Annotated reference collection, includes links to alcohol and drugs,
anatomy, diseases, disabilities, mental health, consumer information, men
and women's health, areas of specialization, etc.
Drug Information
MedlinePlus-Drug Information
A guide to more than 9,000 prescription and over-the-counter
medications provided by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) in the USP DI
Advice for the Patient.
Physician's Desk Reference [UC only]
Click on "MICROMEDEX Healthcare Series" box, then enter search terms and scroll down to PDR on the results page.
Includes drug interactions, side effects, recommended dosages, contraindications, and more.
Federal Government Sites
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease
prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and
education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the
United States.
National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)
Part of the CDC, the NCEH provides information about disease,
disability, or injury as related to environmental health. Some historical
information is also available.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The home page to the National Institutes of Health that offers
information on health, news, available grants, and advances in science.
There is also a list of
on-line
consumer health publications available.
Office of Public Health
and Science
National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII)
This site is maintained by the USGS, and it offers information on current biological issues such as the West Nile Virus.
- West Nile Virus (WNV)
This site is maintained by NBII and updated weekly. It offers links to
the Latest News, Human Health and WNV, and a link to Frequently Asked
Questions.
The Office of Minority Health Resource
Center
The Office of Minority Health (OMH) was created by the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 1985 as a result of the report of
the secretary's task force on black and minority health.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Hotlines
Health Hotlines
A site from the National Library of Medicine offering online
health-related organizations that offer toll-free telephone services. You
can search by keyword or by subject. Also available in Spanish.
DIRLINE
A directory of health organizations.
Local Hospitals and Clinics
UCSC Student Health Center
Dominican Hospital
see also Dominican Hospital Medical Library, which is open to the public. Call
(831) 462-7738 for hours.
Planned Parenthood
Watsonville Community Hospital
Physicians
AMA Doctor Finder
Searchable database of individual physicians in the United States.
Vimo
A new site that provides physician profiles and also allows users to submit reviews of the doctors online. Elsewhere on the site they also profile dentists and health insurance options. Funded by venture capitalists.
Find A Physician affiliated with Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz
This directory contains listing information submitted by member physicians representing themselves individually. Provides contact information and lists what insurance they accept.
Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics
WHO Statistical Information System
World Health Organization health statistics.
The Medical Librarian
Christy Caldwell is the Medical Librarian at UCSC. She can help you with:
- Suggestions for medical books or journals for the library to purchase
- Questions or comments about the books or journals in the library
- Questions or concerns about library policies
- Library instruction in your classes, ranging from basic computer searching to the use of specialized resources in medicine
- Citation searches online, or provide a refresher on how to use article databases, MELVYL or CRUZCAT
Christy can be reached at caldwell@ucsc.edu, phone (831) 459-1287 or via campus mail sent to the Science & Engineering Library.
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