"The Native Health Database contains bibliographic information and abstracts of health-related articles, reports, surveys, and other resource documents pertaining to the health and health care of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations. The databases provide information for the benefit, use, and education of organizations and individuals with an interest in health-related issues, programs, and initiatives regarding North American indigenous peoples." The searchable database is an educational service of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center. Users can search by document type. It includes a Help file to assist users and a link to a wiki Outreach Connections: Native Health Information.
Type of Material:
The resource is classified as reference material.
Recommended Uses:
The recommended use is as a searchable database for information related to the health of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations.
Technical Requirements:
The user will need a computer with Internet access. There are no other special technical requirements.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
The implied learning goal is for users to quickly reach citations and documents to assist with American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations health research.
Target Student Population:
The student population could range from high school to graduate students who are interested in this subject.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Users need moderate to advanced knowledge of medical terminology, access to some method of retrieving print or online full text of desired articles (through library or loan procedure).
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The database pulls from reputable professional and peer-reviewed publications that fall across spectrum of bio-medicine and allied health. The database enables users who wish to only view Native American-specific health research to more easily focus their searches than in bigger databases such as MEDLINE and CINAHL. The content appears to be valid, accurate and reliable. It is current and up to date.
Concerns:
No concerns.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This tool is an excellent resource for professional researchers and upper level students wishing to conduct quick scans of the literature available on Native American health research.
Concerns:
Users may miss relevant research publications with unique keywords not used in the database.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The database is simple in design and use. If the user is familiar with searchable databases, the interface is very easy to use. Common fields are used such as keywords, title, author, institution name, source of publication, year of publication and range of years.
Citation abstract links take database users directly to the much larger MEDLINE database through the PubMed interface, allowing users to find related article citations from the wider scope of bio-medicine.
Concerns:
Users not acquainted with their own library or professional organization borrowing practices may encounter difficulties in obtaining full text of articles cited in the database. Users may become confused when taken out of the Native Health Database and directly into the PubMed interface to MEDLINE when accessing abstracts.
Other Issues and Comments:
Although there is a Help file, it would be helpful to have some additional introduction information.
Creative Commons:
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