1. Practical Tips for Staying Up-To-Date in
Technical Areas
Jean C. Sack, MLS
Public Health Informationist
CCHI Presentation
June 18, 2015

2. 2
Learning Objectives
• By the end of the session, participants will be
able to:
• Make decisions about search approaches for the kind of
information or knowledge needed
• Use HINARI access to PubMed for full text journal retrieval
• Create a strategy for repeated searches or alerts to meet a need
• List key sources of technical resources to consult or reference
supporting the major technical areas
• Consider starting Communities of Practice for CCIH members

3. What tools are essential for information
exchange today?
 Person to person
 Mailed letters and documents
 Fax exchanges
 Phone conversations
 Emails, Yammer,
 Skype, Adobe Connect, Webinars
 Blogs and social media
 Publications databases
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4. How are Christian Medical Organizations
using these tools now?
4
Members of the African Christian Health Association
Platform [ACHAP] gathered for the opening of the
World Health Assembly Geneva May 2016

5. ICHAP has information to share! How?
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Because Health Workers Matter: They Need Our Support
http://www.africachap.org/x5/images/smilies/because%20h
ealth%20workers%20matter%20-%20final.pdf

6. What do you know and do already?
 Name a successful search for information
 From a colleague? Through a group email or CoP?
 Through a database or an alert to a topic?
 In a document or references?
 From a librarian?
 Tell us about a failure to find data or information
 Because of external factors: time, connectivity,
experts
 Because don’t know how to do it
 May not be available in language of user
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7. Why Search for Technical Information?
• Prepare or update national standards or guidelines
• Write concept note or brief
• Contribute to technical working group
• Inform and adjust project design
• Create bibliography for a proposal
• Write background and discussion section of journal article
• Stay up-to-date in your field
• Give a lecture or presentation as an expert in your field
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8. Reflections
Think again about your experience with searching for
technical information. What has worked well? Have you
experienced challenges in translating it for workforce?
Write it down – we will find some answers at the end!
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9. Tamponnement intra-utérin par ballonnet
Un atelier pour les agents de santé de
première ligne
In the language(s) of your
choice…

10. Guiding Principles for Information Searching
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Recency
Look at last 5 years (with exceptions)
Authority
Does author or organization have
a record of credibility?
Relevance
Is the information relevant to the
country or regional context?

11. Relevance
• Relevance to location, project, culture
• Critical thinking about type of source
• Use professional networks
• Value of expert opinion
• Ask as part of search process
 Name three technical resources that are
important to you!
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12. WHO Guidelines – use digital!
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http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/arv/arv-2016/en/
10 Mb
(download at
night!)
4 pounds/1.8 kg
Digital is easy
to search and
share portions!
Fits on thumb
drive /computer

13. Setting up alerts for topics from journals
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Follow-up on current, relevant articles by creating
free citation alerts on the journal homepage!

14. 14
Select only the most appropriate alerts!

15. Grants and Foundation information
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Free access ENOCH PRATT
Emailed alerts to grants,
fellowships, training: NIH

16. Use HINARI for more full text documents!
http://www.who.int/hinari/en/
Only qualified agencies in Low
income countries can register!

17. Sign on to HINARI to search PubMed
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HIN010
This CCIH training password
expires on June 22, 2016

18. Finding recent studies of typhoid in Nepal
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A relevant
search can act
as an alert

19. Jhpiego technical information and training
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www.reprolineplus.org

20. Authority
• What does “authoritative” mean for searching?
• Trusted source: Has a vetting process through
technical expertise (e.g., WHO); trust accuracy
• Updating process: Has a systematic process for
updating information (Jhpiego; K4Health; Popline)
• Organizational values (reputation of WHO or UNFPA)
• NOT on Beall’s list of predatory journals but IS ON
PubMed/Medline’s indexed journals
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21. Beall’s Lists of Predatory journals and
publishers – Open Access
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• For profit
publishers are
fishing for
reviewers =
wasted time!
• Some journals
use conference
proceedings to
request articles
and charge too
much money
• These publishers
and journals are
not recognized
by PUBMED
https://scholarlyoa.com/2015/01/02/bealls-list-of-predatory-publishers-2015/

22. Examples of Authoritative Sources
• WHO
• USAID’s DEC
• JHU’s POPLINE
• Jhpiego’s ReproLinePlusSM
• PubMed (National Library
of Medicine)
• International Professional
Association Conference
Proceedings (e.g., FIGO)
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Look for these top.
level domains:
• .gov
• .edu
• .org

23. Recency
• Exceptions to the 5-year window:
• Background: Provides overview that is still valid
• Topic-Specific:
• Fast-changing science (e.g., HIV)
• On-going research not yet approved by boards (e.g.,
pharmaceuticals)
• Context-Specific: Recent events affect suitability of
information (e.g., safety, reliability, availability)
• Negative Recency Factor: Tragic news; “fanfare” for a
popularized commodity
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24. Check a resource for updates
Nepal study conducted on 5000 pregnant women
 Women who received two doses of albendazole
experienced less severe anaemia (Hb <7 g/L)
 The study also reported increase in birthweight after
two doses of albendazole (mean difference=59g).
 The studies in Nepal ,Sri Lanka also reported a
beneficial impact of antihelmenthics on infant survival.
 Nepal study showed a decreased risk of infant
mortality at 6 months . RR = 0.59
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25. Check PubMed under author & subject
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26. Think of a current topic – find MeSH terms
Zika virus Ebola
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27. Less Credible Sources
• “Grey” literature
(self-published by
organizations)
POPLINE, USAID DEC,
Population Council, FHI
• Non-indexed, non-peer-
reviewed, for-profit journals
Check Bealls List or AOJ
• Commercial websites
Perhaps for products or drugs
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Use critical thinking
with sites that have
these top.level
domains:
• .com
• .net

28. Signing Up for E-Mail Alerts
• Many excellent sources offer e-mail alerts
• How it works:
• Choose search terms or topics
• Enter your e-mail address
• As new material becomes available that matches your
criteria, you receive an e-mail with links to the
material
• See NCBI PubMed for how this works
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29. Set up an NCBI alert to a topic
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30. Use HINARI for more full text documents!
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http://www.who.int/hinari/en/
More training is available in video & step by step how tos!

31. Training materials for HINARI and other
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32. Searches on PubMed can be simple
1. Use a technical area word with AND Nepal
2. Narrow to 5 years
3. Expand the format to abstract
4. Check those most relevant
5. Save, email, put in your NCBI bibliography
6. Follow newer citations (to right of key articles)
7. Notice review articles!
8. Look at bibliography on best articles
9. Use the Medical subject headings (MeSH)
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33. HIN010 50483 (training active until Dec. 7)
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34. Free membership in NCBI for PubMed
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38. S
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39. Find Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) or
Apply limits to search
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40. Let’s all practice one search on HINARI
 Sign into HINARI
http://www.who.int/hinari/en/
 Use your agency log-in and password
 Jean Sack is using HIN010 50483
 Do a simple search on a topic of your choice
–15 minutes for this tutorial!
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41. Other Possible Sources to Use in a
Search Strategy
 Google or Google Scholar (scholar.google.com/)
 PubMed for journal articles (www.nlm.nih.gov/ ) or key journals on topic
 Document repositories:
 RH and MNCH Training manuals (www.reprolineplus.org)
 Respectful maternal care (http://whiteribbonalliance.org/)
 World Health Organization (www.who.int )
 USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse (www.dec.usaid.gov )
 POPLINE reproductive health literature database (www.POPLINE.org)
 Nepal Health Research Council (www.library.nhrc.org.np )
 DOVE (www.stopcholera.org )
 As needed:
 Manufacturer websites
 Asking expert opinion through networking (such as through listservs:
CoPs or e-mail discussion lists)
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43. Finding updates is important!
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44. Consulting Experts or Leaders
• Leaders in different disciplines, organizations
• Know their core strengths
• Harness these sources as needed
• How do you build a network?
• Exposure to an event: training, meeting, conference
• Establish relationships
• Maintain contact and active membership
• Ask for support
• Acknowledge received support and tell them how
you used their support
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45. Summary
• On-going need to access up-to-date information
• Guiding principles for searching: Relevance,
Authority, Recency
• Good sources include: ReproLinePlus.org,
WHO.int, dec.usaid.gov, popline.org
• Tap into expert opinions
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46. Thank you!
Questions?
Jean.sack@jhpiego.org
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