1. Global Health (EBSCO)

Global Health

Why use it?

  • It's the only database that is entirely dedicated to the field of public health on the natinoal, international, and community level. Most of its contents come from journals -- and from journals that are considered most important and most read.  Specialists (not bots) create the database and monitor the  accuracy of its contents. and links. 

What other EBSCO databases could you combine it with?  

  • CINAHL: A nursing and applied health database, heavy in academic journal content, but not exclusively focused on public health.
  • Health Policy Reference Center: A mix of research articles, government reports, health law, policy and position papers produced by think tanks, studies and reports from major international institutions, like the WHO.
  • APA PsycInfo: The premier database for identifying research in psychology and the behavior sciences fields that most closely ally to its. EBSCO produces it for the American Psychological Association.
  • Academic Search Premier: A cross-disciplinary database that draws its contents from news, popular magazines, and a selection of academic journals. 

2. Social Services Abstracts (ProQuest)

Social Services Abstracts (ProQuest)

Why use it?

  • This relatively small, contained database captures the contents of some 1300 journal that are important to researchers who study social work, social welfare, social policy, and community development. 

What else could you try?

  • ProQuest databases are often "graduated" and if Social Services Abstracts doesn't deliver, you can dial up to a search space that is broader and bigger, but still social-science focused.

Think of Social Services Abstracts as the smallest nested doll in a set that's linked on the main (basic) search page.  From here,  can opt to level up to the slightly bigger Sociology Database, Sociological Abstracts (bigger still) , or Social Science Premium, the largest and widest of ProQuest's social sciences databases. 

3. JSTOR Public Health Collection

Why use it?

  • Sometimes the familiar does the job and sometimes, small is mighty.  The public health collection is just 55 journals, but what's included are considered essential and core.  
  • JSTOR also has a growing collection of books, and in the public health collection, you can search  a collection 

What else should you know? 

  • One journal title is absolutely current (2023). Most are subject to JSTOR's famous moving wall --which means you'll might need to look elsewhere for the most recent 1-5 years of the journals JSTOR covers.  

JSTOR's  embargo shouldn't be a deal-breaker (for this project), but it's good to know about, especially if you're ever working in a field where absolute currency is essential (sciences skew this way) or your topic began unfolding in the last few years.  Those factors might help explain a JSTOR "silence" or coverage gap,