Health Information Sources & Searching

There are many sources of health information and ways to access that information. Two common ways are though a search engine like Google or a database like PubMed. 

Here are some key differences between websites and databases:

You will also find a range of the following information types:

• Primary information: data created at the time of the event or study and provides direct/firsthand evidence. This includes original research data, experimental results, and statistical data.
• Secondary information: interpretations and evaluations that come from or refer to primary information. This includes editorials, review articles, textbooks, and encyclopedias.
• Tertiary information: primary and secondary information which has been collected and analyzed. This includes encyclopedias, guidelines, guidebooks, and fact books.

The following lists of resources are not exhaustive and will be updated regularly.

See more databases on the Open Access Health Resources GalterGuide.

Grey literature is research that is produced and/or shared outside of traditional publication pipelines. Grey literature includes conference abstracts, clinical trial protocols, government reports, theses and dissertations, and presentations.