The Finding Articles etutorial has now been replaced by 3 new etutorials:
What is an Article? - learn what an academic article is
Find Articles for a Project - what are the steps you need to follow to find articles for a particular project
Find an Article from a Reference - how can you find the full-text of an article from a reference
A "random item" link in every information system would serve a number of purposes. First and most simplistically, it would bring our systems just a bit closer to the user experience of one of the most popular websites ever. Libraries have invested millions of dollars over the last decade to make their systems more like Google, so why not introduce a minor tweak to make them more like Wikipedia?
A random item link provides a unique and surprising- and therefore fun-entry point into an information system.
To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
[NB Lots of good marketing ideas after the Pokemon GO bit] "Since the library also provides training on our databases, together we created Speed Training, an event based loosely on speed dating... We set up booths manned by employees from FCC University, the library, and outside database vendors who put together short overviews of different services. Visitors received stickers on a card for each booth they visited. Completing the card allowed them to enter a raffle... Even with a large time commitment, the cost was minimal for the ROI. The turnout was fantastic, training sign-ups increased, and we began getting more attention from upper management.
To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
The problems start if you are researching a person, company or industry based in a country other than your own – let’s use Norway as an example – or just want the latest news from that country.
If you can't access the full-text of an article we will try to get a copy for you via an inter-library loan (ILL). During July to September 2017 we processed 39 inter-library loan requests, helping staff to access the right evidence
In a blog post Google has said that it's making search results more local and relevant. What it's actually done is to make things much more difficult, and far more messy
The Understanding Research Evidence (URE) videos use plain language, cartoon visuals, and public health examples to explain complex research concepts. The videos are posted on the NCCMT website and YouTube channel.
Open access. Traditional evaluation methods are not keeping pace with rapid developments in mobile health. More flexible methodologies are needed to evaluate mHealth technologies, particularly simple, self-help tools. One approach is to combine a variety of methods and data to build a comprehensive picture of how a technology is used and its impact on users.
Open access. The rapidly expanding field of mobile health (mHealth) seeks to harness increasingly affordable and ubiquitous mobile digital technologies including smartphones, tablets, apps and wearable devices to enhance clinical care. Accumulating evidence suggests that mHealth interventions are increasingly being adopted and valued by people living with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as a means of better understanding and managing their condition. We draw on experiences from three geographically and methodologically distinct mHealth studies to provide a pragmatic overview of the key challenges and considerations relating to the process of developing digital interventions for this population.
Blog post. When technological advances paved the way for digital books, films and music, many commentators predicted the demise of their physical equivalents. It hasn’t happened, so far at least. For instance, while there is a huge market in e-books, print books remain dominant. A large part of the reason comes down to psychology.....
Following on from the Awayday, this is a really interesting study of how doctors under pressure tend to concentrate on the easier cases, and how this is harmful to productivity in the long run.
As far as I can tell we undertake evidence synthesis to better understand the effectiveness of an intervention. The rationale is that the greater the accumulation of evidence the greater the understanding of how good an intervention is.
To review and discuss predatory open access publishing in the context of nursing and midwifery and develop a set of guidelines that serve as a framework to help clinicians, educators and researchers avoid predatory publishers. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
The objective of this literature review was to summarise current research regarding how consumers seek health-related information from social media. Primarily, we hope to reveal characteristics of existing studies investigating the health topics that consumers have discussed in social media, ascertaining the roles social media have played in consumers’ information-seeking processes and discussing the potential benefits and concerns of accessing consumer health information in social media.
Open access. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are increasingly common. This article aims to provide guidance for people conducting systematic reviews relevant to the healthcare of older people. An awareness of these issues will also help people reading systematic reviews to determine whether the results will influence their clinical practice.
Open access. Traditional evaluation methods are not keeping pace with rapid developments in mobile health. More flexible methodologies are needed to evaluate mHealth technologies, particularly simple, self-help tools. One approach is to combine a variety of methods and data to build a comprehensive picture of how a technology is used and its impact on users.
The Staffordshire Poetry Collection includes 50 unique poems written by local people and was officially launched at Stafford library as part of National Poetry Day on 28 September.
During the evening people got to hear readings of the poems, welcome the new Young Poet Laureate Rebecca Lockwood and the new Staffordshire Poet laureate Emily Rose Galvin announced on the night.
Staffordshire County Council’s libraries service will be joining in the celebrations by hosting a week of their own activities and encouraging people to join.
The very first Libraries Week takes over the UK this week (9 – 14 October) with a huge variety of creative activities for people to discover.
Over a thousand libraries will showcase different activities throughout the week. As well as reading-based activities, libraries are introducing people to coding, 3D printing and video making. They are running digital drop-ins and get-online sessions.
Public Health England (PHE) has developed a process to encourage the development of effective health apps.
This recommended assessment procedure was created in order for apps to be considered for use by health professionals, and has been developed and refined through consultation and real-life testing.