Course Syllabus for Medical Online Searching
- Course Name, Number and Prerequisites
- Course Description
- Course Objectives
- Required Course Materials
- Course Requirements
- Course Policies
- Grading
- Contacting the Instructor
Link to Course Outline
Fall 2006
Instructor: Sandra Kramer
COURSE NAME, NUMBER AND PREREQUISITES
Medical Online Searching
IRLS 588-794
Prerequisite: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION
"This course will focus on the online retrieval and evaluation of medical literature and the issues surrounding provision of timely, relevant, peer-reviewed medical information. Emphasis will be on the development of the intellectual acuity required to provide physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, medical researchers and consumers with targeted responses to medical queries. Current search modalities such as Evidence-Based Medicine will be covered both in readings and in class discussions. 3 credits"
What will we be covering in this course?
- Online information resources in nursing, medical, pharmaceutical and allied health fields
- Evidence-based medicine and its impact upon searching the medical literature
- Consumer health information resources
- Current trends in online searching
- Medical news - From talk shows to the evening news, looking for the facts
- Career paths for health sciences librarians
Health sciences librarianship offers many exciting career paths in hospitals, academia, government, corporations and special libraries. The ability to search the medical literature is a significant component of a successful career in medical librarianship and also serves as a valuable skill for librarians working in public libraries, corporations, news organizations and academic settings. We will explore the skills, resources and trends of searching the medical literature. Readings will include overviews of medical databases, both open access and commercial, and the controlled vocabulary required to enable accurate information retrieval. We will also examine the information requirements of health care professionals, patients, consumers and researchers. Lectures and readings will provide knowledge of the scope of online resources, technology and systems. The course will include in-depth coverage of PubMed database and its medical subject headings.
Course Format: This course will be taught virtually using D2L on the Web and in Tucson-based classroom lectures. Virtual course lectures will be posted twice a week with discussion forums set up for each lecture. You will be expected to actively participate in online discussions, posting a comment, question or reply at least once for every lecture. There is no required textbook for this course. Assigned readings will be available electronically.
Upon completion of the course, students should understand and be able to demonstrate working knowledge of: health sciences databases and online information resources. Students should understand the principles and practices related to providing accurate, timely, relevant, cost effective information to health professionals, patients and healthcare consumers. Students will also have knowledge of major vendors, information resources available via the Web and opportunities for career paths in health sciences online searching and medical librarianship.
There is no required text to buy. All readings will be available electronically. Some assigned readings will be accessed online through the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database which provides access to biomedical literature. All reading assignments will be posted on D2L.
The following journals, texts and professional associations support health sciences database searching. They are not required for this course.
Journal of the Medical Library Association ; Medical Reference Services Quarterly ; International Journal of Medical Informatics ; Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association; Health Information and Libraries Journal
Boorkman, J.A., Huber, J.T. & Roper, F.W. (Eds.) (2004). Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences (4th Edition). New York: Neal-Schuman.
Societies
Medical Library Association ; Special Libraries Association ; American Medical Informatics Association
There are four components that go into the final course grade:
| Requirement | Percentage of Final Grade |
| Participation | 15% |
| Exercises | 35% |
| Presentation | 20% |
| Final Project | 30% |
Participation: Online discussion of course lectures and readings will take place in D2L discussion forums. You will be required to post a thoughtful comment at least once for every lecture. Further information on discussion forums and use of email will be located on D2L. Participation in each weekend class discussion is also expected. Readings must be completed before each class to facilitate group discussions.
Exercises: Six exercises will be assigned during the course.Exercises which consist of searching of online medical databases should be submitted before each class. Students must complete each exercise individually.
Class Presentation: Overview of one medical condition to be selected during the first two weeks of class. Presentation to include current treatment, consumer Web sites, epidemiology, economic impact and authorities in the field.
Final Project: Written summary of medical condition (may be the same as the class presentation) to include literature searches in support of summary statements, high impact journals within the field and current issues.
Academic Code of Integrity
Students are expected to abide by the University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity (one theme of which is that The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must by the student's own.) If you have any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please ask an Instructor.
Accommodating Disabilities
The University has a Disability Resource Center. If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me, the Instructor, official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment to discuss accommodations and how course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.
Assignment Policies
The classroom environment for the virtual portion of course is D2L. Some assignments will be turned in via the D2L DropBox. Presentation and Final Project will be presented to the instructor in class.
Complete assigned readings by the end of the day on which they are scheduled.
Actively participate in D2L class discussions by posting at least one thoughtful comment for each lecture. Active participation is also expected during Tucson classes.
Specific due dates for all readings, exercises and projects will be posted on D2L.
Incompletes
The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual, p.23 reads
The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case the grade of E must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incomplete grade before the end of the semester.
If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.
Grade Breakdown
Requirement Percentage of Final Grade Participation 15%
Exercises 35% Presentation 20% Final Project 30% Assignment of Course Grades:
Course grades will be assigned as follows:
A=90+ (Superior Work)
B=80-89 (Very Good)
C=70-79 (Marginally Satisfactory)
F=0-69 (Failed to meet requirements)
Students are required to submit all assignments and exercises. Work submitted late will lose ten (10) points. Any requests for extended time for assignments, such as medical reasons, must be approved by the instructor on a case by case basis.
I am physically located in the Arizona Health Sciences Library, Room 2150P. I am available through University email Monday - Friday. I am also available, by appointment, either in my office or by telephone. My office phone number is 520.626.6438, but the best way to reach me is through University email. I will make every effort to respond to your email messages and telephone calls promptly.