Health Science Resources Overview Guide

Why is there always so much information!?

Information is written for different purposes.

• to instruct, inform, or educate
• to persuade or convince
• to amuse or entertain

Information is written for different audiences.

• scholarly - scientists and medical experts, professors, instructors, and academics
• professional - medical, legal, technology workers
• general - the community

Information is presented in different formats.

• print - books, articles, magazines, newspapers, reports, field notes
• electronic and digital - books, articles, magazines, newspapers, websites
• audio - interviews, music, podcasts
• visual - video, maps, charts, images
• physical - artifacts, bones, or other materials

How do I choose the right kind of source?

Always consider the type of information you need and what you need it for. Choose information sources that are appropriate to your purpose, audience, and preferred format.

Most of the resources collected on this guide are intended to inform or educate (their purpose) and are written for scholarly or professional readers (their audience). Use the navigation on the left to learn more about some different source formats you may encounter in your studies. 

If you're really not sure which kind of source to consult to answer your question, please reach out to a librarian. We're happy to help!

It's important to look carefully at any information source you find.

Evaluate its quality and credibility. Don't believe everything you see!

Some key questions for evaluating sources:

• What is the purpose of the resource?
• Who is responsible for the content?
• Who is the intended audience?
• What content is covered?
• How is the information organized?
• Where is the information coming from?
• How current is the information?
• Is there direct research or summaries of research?
• Are references listed?

Questions adapted from University of Michigan Library Nursing Guide. CC-BY.

The sources included on this guide are generally of high quality and good credibility, but it's always important to keep your information filter turned ON.