SPAN 328: Spanish for Medical Use (Renaud)

In the reference collection on the library's 2nd floor, browse in the call numbers beginning with RA to find a good selection of public health-related encyclopedias and dictionaries.

For additional encyclopedia and dictionary articles on your topic, search Gale Virtual Reference, one of our electronic databases:

Go to: Library website --> Electronic Reference

GVR is basically an electronic supplement to the print reference collection; it, too, includes a fair amount of public health information.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website will be a perfect place to start, especially if you are assuming an audience within the United States. The CDC is not only an essential source of information on infectious diseases, but it has information on other medical conditions as well. Consider browsing under "Diseases & Conditions" or typing some keywords in the search box.

• The CDC has a Spanish-language website

You might also try:

• CDC Wonder, which is a database of public health information reports and data provided by the CDC, and/or
• The National Center for Health Statistics, for statistical reports on health-related issues

The World Health Organization arose from the United Nations and contributes to health efforts across the globe. Try browsing under "Health topics" or "Data," or searching in the search box.

• The WHO has a Spanish-language website

The Pan American Health Organization is the WHO's regional office for the Americas and performs a similar function to WHO within those two continents. Here, too, you can browse under the main headings, or conduct a keyword search.

• See also PAHO's Spanish-language website

Tredway Library has a public health subject page, where you can find all of our relevant databases:

Go to: Library website --> Databases --> Biology, Chemistry, Pre-Health, & Public Health --> Public Health

Browse through these resources to identify those best suited to your topic.

Some specific ideas:

Ebsco Databases in Public Health will give you a variety of options.

• Consumer Health Complete and Health Source - Consumer Edition are both likely to be useful
• Add CINAHL Complete and/or Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition for nursing information
• Depending on your topic, you might try Environment Complete and/or PSYCInfo
• Including Academic Search Complete will get you newspapers and magazines in addition to academic research articles

Here are some things to keep in mind as you search the Ebsco databases:

• You can limit your results to articles in Spanish, if you wish
• Many journal articles--those that report the results of highly specialized studies--may not be ideal for this project, because they will be so highly specific.
• If you do want scholarly research articles, consider looking for review articles. Review articles provide an overview of all recent research on a particular topic and make an attempt to sum up the current state of knowlege on that topic. As such, they could be more useful to you than articles that report the results of single, highly specific study.

Here are some additional, non-academic databases I recommend:

CQ Researcher is a database of in-depth reports, written by journalists, on major issues in the news. Search or browse here to see whether an up-to-date report exists on your topic. If there is one, you will have a gold mine of information, plus a bibliography of additional relevant sources.

If your topic has been the subject of legislation in Washington, D.C., try searching CQ Weekly, which provides objective reporting about goings-on on Capitol Hill.

Search LexisNexis Academic for current newspaper articles from the United States and countries across the world. Click "Advanced" under the search box to limit by date (plus some other options). When your search results come up, open the "Geography" menu (on the left-hand side of your screen) to limit by location and/or the "Language" menu to determine whether Spanish-language results are available.

Tredway Library also has a subject page for Spanish:

Go to: Library website --> Databases --> English; World Languages, Literatures, & Cultures; Classics --> World Languages, Literatures, & Cultures

Databases here that could be useful include HAPI, PRISMA, and JSTOR, all of which will allow you to limit to articles in Spanish. While many of the resources on the Spanish subject page will become more relevant when you do the second project, they're worth considering now, too.

Cite your sources using APA style. Online guides to APA are available on the library's website:

Go to: Libarary website --> Citing Sources (under "Research Tools")

A copy of the complete APA style book also "lives" at the research help desk on 2nd floor; just ask the person on duty if you can borrow it.

You are welcome to contact me at mariaemerson@augustana.edu with any questions about your research for this class. You can also find me at the research help desk on the 2nd floor of the library off and on during the week.

Or talk to anyone you find on duty at the research help desk: in-person, or via phone (309-794-7206), email (libraryinfo@augustana.edu), or the "Ask an Augustana Librarian" chat box on the library's main page.