PubH 282 Advanced Policy Analysis

Identifying and Gathering Public Health Research and Information

Session Outline

1. Search Tips
2. Web Search Engines
3. Major Papers, Magazines, Trade Journals
4. Library Databases
5. Finding Books & Journals
6. Federal Government
7. State and Local Government
8. Research Organizations: Federal and Private
9. Statistics
10. Reference Tools
11. Matrix

Notes

The information environment is very complex; we have all experienced information overload. Information is coming at us from conversation, the Internet, TV, email, discussion lists, newspapers, and journal articles. To make matters worse, time and skill is needed to efficiently use different formats and accurately assess the content.

Thomas R. Dye, an Emeritus Professor of Political Science at Florida State University, describes public policy as "whatever government chooses to do or not to do." It is the what and why and outcomes of government. When you do research on policy, you will look into issues (Medicare, SNFs, etc.), audiences (Medicare recipients, Medicaid beneficiaries, ...)

This handout is intended to aid you in accessing, obtaining and organizing information in health care policy.