Information Literacyfor the Health Science Student

Lesson 5: A Quick Look at Books

Differences in the Academic World

A book can put your research into perspective.

Books provide information that is more in-depth than journal articles do.

However, it is the nature of book publishing that the information doesn’t change as rapidly as the information published in journals.

Health Sciences and BooksIn the health sciences scholarly communication largely takes place in journals. That’s because scientific information changes rapidly.

Yesterday’s health science fact may be outdated by today’s research.

In the humanities (history, philosophy, theology, the fine and performing arts) scholarly communication largely takes place in books.

That’s because new information needs to be placed in context of a history of ideas.

The humanities’ scholars take a broader view in their research.

Newer the Better

In the sciences information changes quickly. Science books may be outdated within a very short time.

Classic Texts

Some books are important due to the contribution their authors have made to the health sciences.

Other books can place a discipline within a historical or conceptual context.

Reference BooksReference books are intended primarily for consultation.

There are many useful reference books available for the health sciences. They provide information in a brief format useful for on-the-go information or to begin research.

Currency is important in the reference book a researcher uses. Medical terminology and drug information can change quickly. Reference books must be up-to-date.

Locating Books

If you’re in college books can be obtained in and through your campus library.

Start with the Library’s CatalogFirst connect to the catalog through the library's website.

Then use the Search box to find books in the Library.

The Physical BookFrom the results list locate the books you want to use.

The call numbers act as an address for the book’s location on the shelf.

Electronic BooksYour library has access to millions of books through their databases and other online resources.

Look for links to:• eBrary• EBSCOhost eBooks• EBSCOhost PsycBooks• NCBI Bookshelf• Internet Archive• Google Books

Books Delivered to Your Library

Interlibrary loan services like EZ-Borrow allow you to obtain books from some the largest university libraries in the world.

Use online search form and then select your book from thousands of titles.

Texts usually arrive within 3 to 5 days.

NCBI Bookshelf

A collection of e-books in a variety formats.

• Acrobat .pdf• HTML• Searchable HTML

An excellent resource for free full-text books in the biosciences and health sciences is the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI) Bookshelf.

Bookshelf provides free access to books and documents in life science and healthcare.

The Bookshelf enables users to easily browse, retrieve, and read content, and spurs discovery of related information.

Browse the Titles

Select the hyperlinked title to view the text of a book.

Searchable Texts

The text of certain books is accessible only through a search and view method. They cannot

be read page by page.

Search terms are highlighted in chapters and

pages returned on the results list.

Search Text within a Book

Text within a book is searchable.

Search terms are highlighted in chapters and

pages of the book.

Bookshelf Collection Size

The Bookshelf currently contains over 2300 e-books.

Many titles can be read online or downloaded to your computer.

Next we will discuss putting your research together.

Do the student activity for this lesson. After that proceed to the next lesson.

Revised Thursday, February 12, 15.