Tackling a new topic?
Health Informatics is "the interdisciplinary study of the design, development, adoption and application of IT-based innovations in healthcare services delivery, management and planning." Procter, R. Dr. (Editor, Health Informatics Journal, Edinburgh, United Kingdom). Based on this definition, Health Informatics research is very interdisciplinary, so you may find that you'll have to look multiple places to get a complete picture of the current research on a topic.
If you are unsure of where to start, try looking for a review article first. Review articles attempt to summarize the state of research on a scientific topic. While lengthy & not generally including the very latest research, review articles can be a great way to start to get a handle on a topic. Many databases (including PubMed & Web of Science below) will allow you to limit your search to include only review articles or literature reviews.
Don't overlook the literature cited at the end of the review - the bibliography contains a wealth of information about the key discoveries & main researchers in the field.
Looking for help on evaluating your sources? Check out some of our tutorials here.
A few databases that may be good places to start are:
You may not find your topic in these databases. If that's the case, I would recommend continuing to search in other databases or making an appointment with me. For a more complete list of databases that will be helpful for Health Informatics topics, click here.
For more immediate help, use one of the Ask A Librarian options. I'm also happy to meet for in person or web consultations - please contact me for an appointment at l.kuck@northeastern.edu.
