As a first step, think about your research topic or assignment task and consider what sort of information/materials might be useful in helping you to develop your knowledge in this area.
You are likely to use a combination of different types of resources in order to fully explore your topic.
It is essential to make a plan before you jump in and start searching; if you can pinpoint the sort of information you require, you can target your searching in the appropriate place and save yourself time.
Books, such as textbooks, are good for providing an overview of a topic. They undergo an editorial process and are usually written by experts in the subject or professional authors. They contain reference lists or bibliographies so that you can broaden your research by following up leads to related publications.
Many books at the University are available in digital format as e-books.
Books take time to produce, so may not always contain the most up to date information. It is important to check you are using the most up to date edition of a book.
Developing Your Prescribing Skills by
Intended to help practitioners and all new prescribers assess their current skills, recognise their skills gaps, identify ways of meeting their learning needs and be accountable for their prescribing, both as individuals and teams. Set in the context of 'real life' case scenarios, it takes a practical view of the main issues facing prescribers in all walks of practice. This book encourages the reader to apply the generic prescribing skills covered in each chapter to their own practice through the use of reflective exercises with feedback from experienced prescribers, suggested areas for further study, mind maps and top tips. Chapters offer information and advice on the following: * taking a good history * prioritising in polypharmacy * consultations and prescribing in paediatrics * monitoring prescribing * ethical decision making in prescribing * establishing partnerships with patients * influences on prescribing Developing Your Prescribing Skills will be an invaluable resource for all new prescribers including junior doctors and GPs, and non-medical prescribers such as pharmacists, nurses and allied health professionals.
Journals can provide you with up to date discussion of research topics as they are published more quickly and regularly than books e.g. weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually, depending on the publication.
Journal articles are written by researchers and experts in their field. Scholarly or academic journals go through a "peer review" process, where a panel of experts assesses the article before it is approved for publication, giving you reassurance that the information is reliable. Like books, the more scholarly articles also contain reference lists or bibliographies so that you can broaden your research by following up leads to related publications.
The majority of the journals available via the library are in digital format. This means they are available to you any time, any place and ensures you can access the latest journal issues as soon as they are published.
The papers that researchers deliver at conference and symposia around the world are often published after the event, in print and/or digital format. They may be published as a book, in a special issue of a journal or on an organisations' website. Some may not be published at all.
Published conference papers are often the first time that research findings are publicly presented and debated so they can be sources of cutting edge research.
Many are subject to peer review, just like scholarly journals, which acts as a quality assurance check.
Subject databases may index major conference proceedings as an aid to their discovery. The following tools will also enable you to find conference papers and proceedings in your area.
Web of Science: Conference Proceedings Index
Web of Science indexes the most significant conferences and seminars since 1990 in the Science and Social Sciences & Humanities. Select the proceedings indexes from More Settings on the Web of Science search screen.
Use the Google Scholar search tool to find conference papers and information that hsa been indexed on the web. Search for your research area, add conference and a year if you wish to pinpoint a particular period.
Reference resources such as dictionaries and handbooks enable you to:
They can be really useful resources as you begin your background research into a topic, before you move on to more in depth research via your Subject databases.
You may find the following reference resources helpful for providing an overview of your subject:
For more recommended book suggestions, visit the Clinical Pharmacy LibGuide
Statistics is the science of collecting, analysing and presenting numerical data and can be a vital source of information for your studies.
Statistical data can be found on a huge variety of subjects including:
A wide range of data and statistical sources are available to you via the Data section of the A-Z Database List. Databases covering the science of statistics can be found in the Statistics Subject List. Many organisations and governments also make statistical data freely available.
Use the Finding Statistics: Quick Guide for more information.
Search engines such as Google have made it very easy to search and find information via the internet and it is highly likely that you will use the web to find information for your research.
However, the sheer volume of material available means that sometime it can be difficult to find the information you want. Most search engines offer advanced search options that allow you to refine your search i.e. Google Advanced Search. If you want to find academic materials, search using Google Scholar.
When using material from the internet, you need to exercise caution as anyone can publish information on the web so the quality and reliability of the information is highly variable. Always evaluate the sources to ensure the material is trustworthy, accurate and authoritative.
