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Peer Review

Medical Microbiology

Reviewed:

Jun 8, 2004 by Biology
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Ratings

Overall Rating: 3.2 stars
Content Quality: 3.2 stars
Effectiveness: 3.5 stars
Ease of Use: 3.1 stars
Overview:

This is an online version of a textbook that is now out of print. Chapters,
written by experts in each field, cover general concepts of microbiology and
immunology and the microorganisms of medical interest in bacteriology, virology,
mycology, and parasitology. For each organism the clinical manifestations,
diagnosis, and treatment of infection are
described. The final section of the book Introduction to Infectious Diseases,
is arranged by organ system. The artwork is old (black and white) and some of
the content needs update. Technical Remarks: No navigational aids, menu bar or
internal links. NO download option for offline browsing.
Type of Material:

Online textbook
Recommended Uses:

Supplement to other reading resources
Technical Requirements:

None
Identify Major Learning Goals:

To convey the mechanisms and principles of medical microbiology.
Target Student Population:

Upper division undergraduates in pathogenic microbiology and medical students
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Basic understanding of microbiology

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:

  • Written clearly and concisely by over 100 experts
  • Covers the breadth of topics in medical microbiology
  • The artwork is good, but in black and white.
  • The tables and images are presented in a logical sequence.
    Concerns:

    • There is no indication of updates to the text.
    • End of chapter references are old. A search turned up no discussion of SARS in the coronavirus chapter.
    • Illustrations are in black and white and lack interest.

      Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

      Rating:
      Strengths:

      • Easy to access standard information.
      • Information is well presented, linear style. It can be used as a primary or historical source about the subject.
        Concerns:

        • Lack of currency
        • No links to other resources
        • Lack of color and other learning aids.

          Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

          Rating:
          Strengths:

          • All links flow from a single page
            Concerns:

            • Long pages to scroll and read
            • No ability to download
            • Navigation requires using back button; no menu bar available
              Creative Commons:
              creative-commonscreative-commons by