Using Pathfinders

HEALTHINFOQUEST pathfinders are designed for public librarians and health information specialists. Each pathfinder reflects the intuitive nature of reference work. Pathfinders are not meant to be used with clients, but as learning opportunities for enhancing confidence in your ability to retrieve information. Users are encouraged to follow their inclinations to browse links within links and explore the wealth and variety of quality health and medical information available on the World Wide Web.

Warning: The dynamic nature of the World Wide Web can result in unexpected changes to any resource at any time. There is no guarantee that a path that worked one time will work the next. However, the process of finding information integral to HEALTHINFOQUEST should still allow you to adapt to any changes and find the information you are seeking.

Arranging Windows

This pop-up window icon indicates every link to a resource that will appear in a new browser window.

Here are several ideas for arranging windows:

• Resize both windows so that the pathfinder window and the resource window are side by side.
• Maximize both windows so they fill the monitor screen, then toggle between the two.
• Print out the pathfinder and use it while following the pathways through the Web resources.
  • Disclaimer:
    Keep in mind that HEALTHINFOQUEST is designed for information specialists and not for the lay public. Pathfinders are not designed to be used at the point of client contact.

Experiment until you find what works best for you.

Starting

You can begin with any pathfinder. The Terminology pathfinder is a good place to start as it is the logical beginning for most health and medical reference questions. Knowing where and how to find correct pronunciations and definitions of terms can help you put your client at ease in a situation where clear communication is imperative. Other pathfinders may be used in any order for independent learning or review.

Time commitment

Each pathfinder is designed as a step-by-step process through several online resources. The goal is to provide maximum opportunity for busy professionals to examine a resource with minimum time commitment.

It should take less than 15 minutes to go through any particular pathfinder. However, the more you explore the available information the more time you can spend.

Here are several ideas:

• Closely follow a pathfinder to minimize your time commitment.
• Try to answer the test question at the end of each pathfinder if you have time.
• The same Web resources may be incorporated into a number of pathfinders. Exploring different pathfinders can maximize your time and help you develop a "feel" for the process.
• Go through the "When and How to Use" section. (Access is from both the Site Map and the Site Help.) Learn more about the primary resources used in HEALTHINFOQUEST separate from the pathfinders.

For more ideas for using HEALTHINFOQUEST, see Other Uses.