These resources represent the highest quality information sources for learning and practice.
| RESOURCE TYPE | EXAMPLES & HOW TO FIND |
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Professional Journal Literature Article Databases provide empirical “evidence” from primary and secondary journal literature. Use search terms such as diagnosis, treatment, etiology, prevention, and risk for patient care evidence. Limit results to publication type such as Randomized Controlled Trial or Systematic Review for best evidence |
For Primary and Secondary Literature found in Article Databases search:
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Medical Textbooks Textbooks provide foundational information related to body structures & their function, systems, and in-depth discussions of diseases and conditions. |
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Study Tools for foundational knowledge
See Study Tools at a Glance to learn where to find specific kinds of information, such as images or self-assessments.
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CIVL Quick Links - Study & Clinical Tools |
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Clinical Tools for the patient care and the practice of medicine
See Clinical Tools at a Glance Table to learn where to find specific kinds of information, such as drug information or clinical calculators. |
CIVL Quick Links - Study & Clinical Tools
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Government Information Government agencies offer and array of information and data in the areas of medicine and healthcare. Consider the audience for these sites; information for health consumers is likely not adequate for medical professions education. |
Look for Information for Health Professionals (not Consumer Health Information)
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These are suggested guidelines for your consideration when using these types of resources to address learning issues.
| RESOURCE TYPE | EXAMPLES |
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Board Review Materials Boards review materials are designed to help you do well on tests and are not geared to in-depth foundational learning. |
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Question Banks Question banks are designed to help you assess your own knowledge and to do well on tests and are not geared to in-depth foundational learning. |
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| Subscription-based health information sites (.org, .com) |
Commercial information or information that requires registration, personal account creation or payment. Requires careful evaluation - quality varies |
| Educational Institutions (.edu) |
Information created by individuals at academic institutions. Might be fine but requires careful evaluation - quality/applicability varies. |
| Grey Literature |
Requires evaluation - quality varies |
The quality of resources found through random internet searches is highly variable and requires rigorous evaluation and verification from other primary and secondary resources.
Using resources available through CIVL can save time as these resources are vetted for you.
| Resource Type | Notes on Quality |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Anyone can edit - information might be very good, but you don’t know unless you carefully examine underlying references and evidence. |
| Media Outlets |
Newspapers, popular magazines, etc. - can be biased; careful evaluation is required. |
| Social Media |
Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Podcasts - Anyone can say anything through Social Media; can be biased and careful evaluation is required. |
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Independent Health Practitioners (.com) |
e.g. Orthobullets - No assumption of quality - requires careful evaluation as to accuracy of information (evidence), timeliness, purpose, etc. |
| Health Information Sites (.com)_ |
e.g. Radiopedia - No assumption of quality - requires careful evaluation; registration or purchase requirements are red flags. |