Getting Help
HSLS librarians are available to help you with using the library and other public health information sources.
Day to Day Questions
- Use our Ask a Librarian service for help by phone, e-mail, or chat
- Ask about any aspect of using the library or finding information
Major Project Questions
- Get help finding and managing information for your thesis, masters' essay, dissertation, or paper for publication
- Contact Helena VonVille, HSLS Liaison to Public Health, to schedule a consultation
Molecular Biology Information Service
- Major bioinformatics databases, software tools, and related literature provided by out MolBio Information Service
Search PubMed Efficiently
Learn how to search PubMed more efficiently!
There is lots of help when it comes to search PubMed more efficiently. The resources below will show you how to set up a My NCBI account, develop a search statement, use PI/ECO+ as a framework for developing your vocabulary, and link you to classes.
Create and Customize a My NCBI account
Sign up for a PubMed MyNCBI account
Watch this video for instructions on setting up a My NCBI account and helpful hints for making it easier to locate the full text of articles.
This account will allow you to
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Customize the PubMed display
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Save searches for later automatic or manual reuse
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Save citations to articles in collections
Painless PubMed, a 3-part video series from HSLS.
By the end of this video, you should be able to:
- Describe what is in PubMed
- Access PubMed and the full text of articles from the HSLS home page
- Create a My NCBI account
- Navigate the PubMed screen
By the end of this video, you should be able to:
- Articulate your research question
- Create a basic search using Boolean operators
- Describe what MeSH terms are
- Broaden/Narrow a search
By the end of this video, you should be able to:
- Use the Limits options
- Search within a range of years
- Find similar articles
Other Training Opportunities: NLM Training Resources
The National Library of Medicine, producer of PubMed, provides many free training opportunities.
The free class is offered via Moodle.
How PubMed Works On Demand is made up of 4 independent modules.
The individual modules are:
- How PubMed Works: Introduction
- How PubMed Works: Selection
- How PubMed Works: MeSH (Medical Subject Headings)
- How PubMed Works: ATM (Automatic Term Mapping)
Additional resources:
- PubMed Quick Start Guide
- PubMed Tutorials
- PubMed Help Manual
- My NCBI Help Manual (personal acccount for saving PubMed searched, citations, and personalizing PubMed functions)
Getting Organized for Literature Searching
This document covers the literature search process in detail.
Finding Full Text
See the section on Accessing Full Text Articles on the HSLS Basics Tab.
If we don't own an article or book you want, try our Document Delivery service. Document delivery of full text articles is free for Pitt students.
Citation management software
There are several options when selecting citation management software. Two commonly used programs, EndNote and SciWheel (formerly f1000) are licensed by the University of Pittsburgh. Two other programs, Mendeley and Zotero are freely available.
Additional information on them can be found using the link below.
This HSLS LibGuide focuses primarily on EndNote but also includes a comparison between and links to other citation manager software.
Be sure you download the most current EndNote version for your PC or Mac. You must be a member of the University of Pittsburgh community with a valid MyPitt login to download EndNote.
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SciWheelSciWheel is a cloud-based citation management and collaborative editing resource.
We offer a variety of classes on many topics, including: Citation management; Data science; Instructional and Visual Design; and Molecular Biology.
Books on Writing
Below is a select list of books on writing. Additional Scientific, Medical, or Research Writing ebooks published from 2010-2021 can be found through PittCat, the online discovery tool for books, book chapters, journal articles, and more.
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Doing a Literature Review in Health and Social Care by Call Number: RA440.85 .A949 2010ISBN: 9780335238859Publication Date: 2010-05-01HSLS has the 2nd edition available available online. The 3rd edition is available IN PRINT in Falk Library. This is a very practical book on writing a master's essay. Topics include choosing a topic, finding and appraising the literature, synthesizing your findings, and writing the literature review. -
Health Sciences Literature Review Made Easy by ISBN: 9781284115192Publication Date: 2016-08-18Health Sciences Literature Review Made Easy: The Matrix Method, Fifth Edition describes the practical and useful methods for reviewing scientific literature in the health sciences. The goal of this text is to serve as a resource for students who need a practical, step-by-step set of instructions for how to organize, conduct, and write a synthesis of literature on a topic of their choice. -
Doing a Systematic Review by Call Number: R853.S94 D65 2014ISBN: 144626968XPublication Date: 2013-11-19Available in print at Falk Library, Main Desk.
"If you are a Master's or a PhD student conducting a systematic review for your dissertation or thesis, then this is the book for you!" - Book Jacket -
Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences by Call Number: Available online from WileyISBN: 0470754885Publication Date: 2008-01-11"This book outlines the rationale and methods of systematic reviews, giving worked examples from social science and other fields. It requires no previous knowledge, but takes the reader through the process stage by stage. It draws on examples from such diverse fields as psychology, criminology, education, transport, social welfare, public health, and housing and urban policy, among others." --Book Jacket. -
Writing Dissertation and Grant Proposals by
ISBN: 1466512075Publication Date: 2014-01-01Available online from CRC Press
Written by an experienced grant writer, this book explains all steps in writing grants and dissertation proposals, using examples from successful proposals throughout. The target audiences are doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career faculty. -
MOS 2013 Study Guide for Microsoft Word by ISBN: 9780735680333Publication Date: 2013-07-24If you want to learn how to manage a complex Word document, for example combining separate documents into one and controlling the formatting, this is an excellent how-to manual.
Books on Research Design
Below is a select list of books on research. Additional health research design ebooks published from 2010-2021 can be found through PittCat, the online discovery tool for books, book chapters, journal articles, and more.
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Designing Clinical Research by Designing Clinical Research has been extensively revised and continues to set the standard as a practical guide for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals involved in all forms of clinical, translational, and public health research. It presents advanced epidemiologic concepts in a reader-friendly way, and suggests common sense approaches to the challenging judgments involved in designing, funding, and implementing. New to this edition: Expanded and updated content in every chapter, with new material on: * non-inferiority trials for comparative effectiveness research * incidence-density case-control studies * confounding and effect modification * diagnostic test studies to inform prediction rules * ethical aspects of whole genome sequencing * automated data management approaches * new NIH grant-writing requirements Color format, and Electronic access, powered by Inkling(tm) as a free companion to the text * viewable through your browser or as a download to tablet or smartphone * the complete text with optimized navigation * note-sharing, highlighting and bookmarking capability * cross-linking of references and content * rapid search options linked to the new glossaryISBN: 9781608318049Publication Date: 2013-07-10 -
Quasi-Experimental Research Designs by It is usually the case that ethical and pragmatic considerations preclude the use of randomly assigning social work clients to experimental and comparative treatment conditions. In such instances, the practicality of employing a quasi-experimental method becomes an excellent alternative.Quasi-experimental research designs allow researchers to compare groups, and the use of increasingly sophisticated programs provides greater statistical control for what has become the most widely employed research approach used to evaluate the outcomes of social work programs and policies.This pocket guide describes the logic, design, and conduct of the range of such designs, encompassing pre-experiments, quasi-experiments making use of a control or comparison group, and time-series designs. An introductory chapter describes the valuable role these types of studies have played insocial work, from the 1930s to the present. Subsequent chapters delve into each design type's major features, the kinds of questions it is capable of answering, and its strengths and limitations. By linking the theoretical discussion of quasi-experimental designs with actual applications in socialwork literature, the usefulness and vitality of these research methods comes alive for readers.While this book can be utilized as a manual, it will also have great value for practitioners seeking a greater conceptual understanding of quasi-experimental studies in social work literature. Human service professionals planning to undertake a program evaluation of their agency's services will findthis book helpful in understanding the steps and actions needed to adopt a quasi-experimental strategy.ISBN: 0195387384Publication Date: 2012-02-16 -
Research Design by ISBN: 9781462529995Publication Date: 2017-04-12This user-friendly book provides a step-by-step guide to using the five major approaches to research design: quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, arts-based, and community-based participatory research. Chapters on each approach follow a unique format--they present a template for a research proposal and explain in detail how to conceptualize and fill in every section. Terminology commonly used within each approach is identified, and key moments of ethical decision making are flagged. Interdisciplinary research examples draw on current events and social justice topics. Unique coverage includes hot topics: replication studies and data sharing, tailoring proposals to different audiences, and more. The book also includes a general introduction to social research; an in-depth, practical discussion of ethics; and a chapter on how to begin a research study, from planning a topic to developing a research question via a literature review. Pedagogical Features *Multiple "Review Stops" in each chapter--quick quizzes with answer keys. *End-of-chapter writing exercises, research activities, and suggested resources. *Bold-face key terms and an end-of-book glossary. *Boxed tips from experts in the respective approaches. *Supplemental PowerPoint slides for instructors using the book in a class. Winner (Third Place)--American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Nursing Research Category -
When to Use What Research Design by Systematic, practical, and accessible, this is the first book to focus on finding the most defensible design for a particular research question. Thoughtful guidelines are provided for weighing the advantages and disadvantages of various methods, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods designs. The book can be read sequentially or readers can dip into chapters on specific stages of research (basic design choices, selecting and sampling participants, addressing ethical issues) or data collection methods (surveys, interviews, experiments, observations, archival studies, and combined methods). Many chapter headings and subheadings are written as questions, helping readers quickly find the answers they need to make informed choices that will affect the later analysis and interpretation of their data. Useful features include: *Easy-to-navigate part and chapter structure. *Engaging research examples from a variety of fields. *End-of-chapter tables that summarize the main points covered. *Detailed suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter. *Integration of data collection, sampling, and research ethics in one volume. *Comprehensive glossary. ISBN: 146250387XPublication Date: 2012-04-19 -
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Principles of Methodology by What is methodology? How should one design a research project? What is the relationship between theory and method in social research? What do students and new researchers need to know in order to plan and conduct high quality research for themselves? In this intelligent and accessible book, Perri 6 and Chris Bellamy explore the relationship between the philosophical principles of the social sciences and the methods at our disposal to study the social world. They examine how we can design achievable and valid research projects by looking closely at the choices that all researchers and students face when designing a research project. Much of the existing literature glosses over the often difficult inter-relationship between practical research design and the theoretical underpinnings of methodology. However, this text addresses such issues head on, and in the process helps the reader to better understand each stage of the research process. Coverage includes: " How do we ask valid research questions? " How do we develop a research design to best answer our questions? " What is the difference between 'methodology' and 'methods'? " How do we formulate research concepts? " How do we select and access a sample? " What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative approaches? " How do we handle our data? This book is essential reading for any student or new researcher on a research methods course and who is faced with the prospect of understanding the research process for themselves or designing their own research project.ISBN: 0857024736Publication Date: 2011-11-09 -
Health Intervention Research by At a time when evidence-based practice is the standard bearer for understanding health behaviour, problems and interventions, ensuring that researchers know the appropriate designs and methods for their research is more paramount than ever. Health Intervention Research will equip those doing research in these communities with the knowledge and tools they need to inform their methodological decisions when planning and conducting studies. This book describes both commonly used (e.g., randomized clinical trials) and advanced (e.g. preference trials, pragmatic trials) designs and methods for health intervention research. It outlines the theoretical reasoning underlying these different approaches, and synthesizes the evidence which supports or disputes different designs and methods. To achieve its aims, the book is divided into three main sections. The first section points to the need to base methodological decisions on evidence and highlights the importance of carefully selecting research designs and methods to maintain validity. The second section focuses on designs to determine the effects of intervention on outcomes, outlining their features and discussing how these can be used to evaluate interventions. The last section covers methods used in conducting intervention evaluation research. For each design and method, the following is covered: what it is, what the logic underlying it is, what the evidence supporting its effectiveness is, and also includes its advantages, its limitations, and how can it be implemented. This will be key reading for postgraduates and novice researchers in health and clinical psychology, health sciences and nursing.ISBN: 1446256162Publication Date: 2014-12-01
