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Allied and Public Health

Resources for allied and public health

A lot of the resources you need to study can be found by using Library Search.

You can also search for articles (and other resources such as reports and conference papers) by browsing journals or by searching databases. 

Journals are like academic magazines, where researchers publish their findings. They are important because they allow you to find out about the latest discoveries in your subject area. Many are peer reviewed, which means articles are only published after evaluation by a panel of experts, ensuring high quality content. Read further down this page for more information about journals and journal articles, including how to find them.

Databases are one of the best types of resource to get familiar with. We use the term ‘database’ to describe a searchable collection of online resources which contain items such as journal articles, books, and images. Using databases recommended for your subject will help you find reliable information from trusted sources.

If Staffordshire University Library has access to a document you find on a database, the record will provide you with the full text of the document. If this is not the case, you can request access via the Document Delivery Service. 

Databases for Allied and Public Health

eResources A to Z

You can search for all available databases using eResources A to Z. Search by subject or name of database, or browse through the list. 

Journals for Allied and Public Health

Journals are published in volumes and issues. For example, the article below, published in September 2021, is in Volume 35, Issue 9 of the journal called Clinical Rehabilitation. 

It's a good idea to browse key nursing journals regularly so you can be familiar with recent research relevant to your practice.
There are a few ways you can identify the most useful journals.

You can use Library Search to find journals in two ways:

Journal Title Search 
Browse by subject category, by keyword or ISSN (this is the unique number assigned to each journal, like a book's ISBN number). 

Use the link in the title above or you can use the link under the search bar on the Finding Resources page. 

Keyword search

Search for your keyword in Library Search (using the 'Online articles and books' filter). Then select 'Journals' as the content filter on the left hand side. You will then see all the journals (both online and print) that are available for you to use.

Journals A to Z is another way to browse journal titles. Use this link to search for an eJournal title: Journals A to Z

Type in the name of the journal you are looking for. Once you have found the journal you want you can search within it or browse for relevant articles. 

Some key journals for allied and public health include: 

Journal of Public Health 

International Journal of Public Health

European Journal of Public Health

Journal of Allied Health 

Finding articles

To find journal articles on a topic (rather than browsing whole journals), use Library Search.

Identify the key concepts in the topic that you need information on.

For example, if your essay title is: Evaluate the risks associated with nurses prescribing medication, your key concepts will be:

risk

nurse

prescribing

You should then identify synonyms, or words and phrases that mean or relate to these concepts. For example:

Key concept Synonyms
Risk danger; threat; hazard; liability; uncertainty; accident; safety
nurse medic; registered nurse; RN; ward staff
prescribing prescription; order; specify; establish; determine

It is helpful to match the concepts to PICO where possible:

P = Population (or patient, problem)
I = Intervention
C = Comparison (or control, or comparator)
O = Outcome 

In this case, the population is nurses, the intervention is prescribing medication, the comparison is implied (i.e. as opposed to not prescribing medication) and the outcome is the risks involved in the intervention activity.

Once you have identified your key concepts and their synonyms, you can search for literature related to them.

Combine the concepts using Boolean operators (AND / OR / NOT). Find out more about how to use these in the Library and Academic Skills Pathway.

For example:

risk AND nurse AND prescribing

then 

danger AND nurse AND prescribing

and so on. Swap one keyword in at a time, be systematic! Write down what you are searching each time and get into the habit of recording the number of results you get back.

Databases

You can also search health databases for articles. See the Databases box on this page.