Reference Sources
Periodicals
Finding Journal Articles
Websites
Reference sources (Books & eBooks)
Reference materials are an excellent starting point for acquiring a broad overview of your topic. Items with REF call numbers are reserved for in-library use only. Those with links are available online to registered Portage College Library users. Depending on your topic, you may want to consult the following tools:
The Alternative Medicine Encyclopedia -includes information on stress, drug abuse and pregnancy as related to alternative medicine. Lakeland Link—Community Services Directory brief profiles and contact information for programs, support, and services for communities within the boundaries of the Lakeland Health Region. Oxford English Dictionary Penguin Encyclopaedia of Nutrition If off-campus, contact Public Services Librarian for username/password. General Collection WebCat & Library of Congress Subject Headings The WebCat is the Library's computerized catalogue. It is the listing of books, videos, and journals available in the Library. You can locate material on specific topics by performing a Subject Heading search, or you can search by author or title. Community health The Library uses the Dewey Decimal Classification System to group books and videos together by subject on the library shelves. The call number on the WebCat corresponds to the number on the label on the spine of the book (e.g. 155.4 BEE). Medical Sciences materials are shelved in the 610 section. Examples Periodicals are published at regular intervals, generally more frequently than annually. Each issue is numbered and/or dated consecutively, and normally contains separate articles, stories, or other writings. Scanning current issues of periodicals in your subject area can be useful when you are trying to think of a topic. ACA News (Alberta Council on Aging) Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health Finding Journal Articles ^ top Academic Search Complete Alberta Health Alberta Public Health Association Breastfeeding Committee for Canada Canadian Cancer Society Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Canadian Diabetes Association Canadian Institute for Health Information Canadian Institute of Child Health Canadian Public Health Association Doulas of North America Health Canada Health Canada: Population Health Development Health in Action Healthnet Canada Immunization Action Coalition It’s Your Health is a joint publication produced by Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada that provides information you can trust on diseases, medical issues, product safety, environmental issues, food safety and healthy lifestyles. KidsHealth Medscape Merck My Child has Diabetes: Live a Normal Life National Academy Press Public Health Agency of Canada Statistics Canada Aboriginal Canada Portal Virtual Hospital Voices for Children Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Access to databases is restricted to the Portage College students, faculty and staff
REF 615.5303 MAR
REF 362.025 LAK 2002
Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, & Health Professions
This full-color dictionary of health care terminology is known for its combination of relevant, thorough definitions and vibrant color illustrations and line drawings that illuminate all subject areas. More than just Mr. Bones, you'll find detailed illustrations of the muscular, circulatory, endocrine, lymphatic, nervous, respiratory, digestive, reproductive, urinary systems and other features.
REF 610.3 MOS 2006
REF 423 OXF 1989 [20 volumes] 
REF 613.203 YUD
Stedman’s Medical Dictionary
REF 610 STE
Some sample headings for Community Health Representative you can perform a search on in the WebCat:
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Health Nutrition
Pregnancy
Sexually transmitted diseases
612 - Human physiology
613.2 - Nutrition
Health Reports [Statistics Canada]
Men in Nursing
Nursing
Parents
Working Mother
is a peer reviewed, web-based journal published twice each year by Native Counselling Services of Alberta and the Alberta ACADRE Network. The articles are multidisciplinary, and of interest to a wide range of readers, including both community and academic researchers.
Academic Search Complete is the world's most comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 5,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 4,600 peer-reviewed journals. The database features PDF content going back as far as 1887, with the majority of full text titles in native (searchable) PDF format.
Public Health Information Alberta governments website devoted to current public health issues e.g. meningitis.
Good info on prevention and early detection
Includes links to information on drug abuse, gambling addiction, and fetal alcohol syndrome.
Comprehensive fact sheets and excellent annotated links
Fact sheets available online
Free publications online plus links.
Association of Childbirth Attendants (called Doulas) with good info on pregnancy and childbirth, and info on becoming certified as a Doula.
Provides information on a variety of topics including Cancer, First Nations, Heart Health, Pregnancy, Seniors, Smoking, and STDs.
Focuses on promotion and prevention, and has some excellent information on the "Determinants of Health"
Alberta-based website on health promotion
Excellent links on injury prevention and health promotion
Information for parents and healthcare providers about vaccines and hepatitis B educational materials
Information about growth, food and fitness, childhood infections, etc.
Requires registration, but free and well worth it. Full text articles and access to Medline (abstracts).
Provides free access to the Merck Manual (Home Edition) and the Merck Manual of Geriatrics. Includes Topics for Health Care Professionals. Searchable database.
An E-book and online resource for parents of children with Juvenile Diabetes.
Provides access to over 3,000 free books. Choose from the topics in the left-hand column, then select a release. See "Full text" under Free Resources below purchase options.
Excellent starting point for any medical topic or Canadian organization
A variety of statistical data, including population traits and trends, justice and crime, government, and profiles of Canadian communities.
The Aboriginal Canada Portal, your single window to Canadian Aboriginal on-line resources, contacts, information, and government programs and services.
A digital health sciences library created in 1992 at the University of Iowa. Aims to make the Internet a useful medical reference and health promotion tool for health care providers and patients.
Advocacy group for child health and development. Excellent fact sheets available online.
Use this database to find articles on topics such as fitness, pregnancy, medicine, nutrition, diseases, public health, occupational health and safety, alcohol and drug abuse, prescription drugs, etc. Full-text articles are available.
Covers topics such as emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods. Full-text articles are available.
Canada Yearbook - produced by Statistics Canada, this has a useful section on Health -- infant death rate, birth weights, etc.
REF 317.1 CAN 2008
Canadian Directory to Foundations & Grants [2 volumes] A listing of the family, corporate, community and special interest foundations whose main activity is grant-making.
REF 001.44 CAN 2006
Compendium of pharmaceuticals and specialties
REF 615.1171 COM 2009
The Concise Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science provides comprehensive coverage from Acquired Drives to Z-score, from conduct disorders to shamanism. Includes linked related topics and suggested readings.
Encyclopedia of Child Abuse - provides an overview of the social problem of child abuse, based on clinical research, surveys, and statistics.
REF 362.7603 CLA
Encyclopedia of Drugs and Alcohol [4 volumes] - a comprehensive source of information on the general topic of substance use and abuse.
REF 362.29 ENC 1995
The Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood & Adolescence - background information on many topics, including premature birth, fetal alcohol syndrome and breast feeding, etc.
REF 305.231 GAL 1998
The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine [5 volumes] - scholarly but readable overview of many topics, with good listing of resources and organizations.
REF 616 GAL 1999
Newer, abbreviated edition also available online.
