Helpdesk
A series of bitesize lunch & learn sessions on finding information.
These sessions are suitable for all health and social care staff, particularly those who: write reports for their team or organisation; are involved in research; or are studying for a qualification.
This support material is aimed at those who have attended the live webinar series.
Support material for Finding information lunch & learn 2025
What do you need to know? Defining your information need or research question
Getting the best out of The Knowledge Network
Getting the best out of web searching
Getting started with databases
Beginner's guide to referencing and plagiarism
An introduction to different study types
This session focused on questions about your information needs. Who is your audience? How much time do you have? This will affect where and how you search. Includes:
After attending the session you may wish to complete the activities below.
If you would like to refresh your knowledge on choosing the right source for your information need, and the differences between grey, popular and scholarly literature, please visit our interactive Padlet.
PICO and other frameworks can help you break your question down into concepts and component parts. For further information go to the planning section of our What do you need to find page.
Use either the PICO, ECLIPS or SPICE framework to break down your research question.
Think about the keywords and alternatives terms you would use to search.
Links mentioned in session
The Knowledge Network evidence summaries page
The Knowledge Network library search
Finding statistical data sway
NHS Inform
Patient Information Forum
What do you need to find page on Turas Learn
Word Hippo online thesaurus
This session looked at the resources available through The Knowledge Network. It includes how to
After attending the session you may find it helpful to follow the instructions below and watch the relevant videos.
If you have never had an NHS Scotland OpenAthens account, or it has been a while since you have signed in, watch the appropriate video below.
If you have used your NHS Scotland OpenAthens account recently, skip to the next activity.
If you encounter any difficulties registering, please contact our help desk for support knowledge@nes.scot.nhs.uk.
Think about a question you need to answer or something you need to know more about. Choose either library search or BMJ Best Practice. Think about the keywords you will use to search and follow the instructions on the appropriate video below.
If you are using library search, further information on combining terms can be found on The Knowledge Network help and training pages.
The Knowledge Network
Further information on registering for an OpenAthens account
Getting started on The Knowledge Network
The Knowledge Network Library Search
Evidence summaries on The Knowledge Network
Introduction to Dynamed video
Training opportunities on The Knowledge Network
Ever been searching for information on the web and hit a paywall? This session provided quick tips to identify material freely available to you through NHS Scotland subscriptions. It also covered:
After attending the session you may wish to complete the activities below
LibKey Nomad is a browser extension that identifies online articles and eBooks made available to you through your NHS Scotland library services. Go to The Knowledge Network and follow the instructions to download LibKey Nomad.
Google Scholar library links can be set to connect your search results with NHS Scotland subscription material. This will allow any articles that are available through The Knowledge Network to show an NHS Scotland Journals link alongside the reference. Follow the instructions on The Knowledge Network to set up library links on Google Scholar.
Further guidance on using your OpenAthens account can be found on The Knowledge Network.
There can be a lot of misinformation on the internet. Often when you access information on the open web you will need to be able to assess the reliability and accuracy of the content. There are a number of frameworks which can help you with this process.
Think about a topic you are interested in and search on Google. Assess the information you find using either the CRAAP or SIFT framework.
Advanced Google Search
Find more evidence sources on The Knowledge Network
The Knowledge Network library search is an ideal place to start searching when you are at the beginning of a research project. If you need a deeper dive or to conduct more complex searches, then a range of databases are available via The Knowledge Network. This session covered:
After the session, get started with the simple activities below
Find out more about what bibliographic databases and the advantages of using these by visiting The Knowledge Network databases page.
Explore the category most relevant to you by selecting View all databases.
Sign in to Turas Learn and complete the module on searching with subject headings:
Module 6 - Searching with subject headings
Frameworks to help you plan your search on Turas Learn
NHS local library services
Further guidance on using ProQuest databases
This session covered the basics of plagiarism and referencing including:
It is important to reference. For an overview of why you need to reference, how to reference and an introduction to referencing terminology, visit our Referencing page.
Referencing systems vary greatly. If you are completing a piece of work for a university or college, they will be able to advise which referencing system you should be using. It is advisable to decide early on which system you will use, and to have some examples of your chosen referencing style. These should include the main types of resources you will be using, for example, articles, books and book chapters, reports, websites, guidelines etc.
Refer to the referencing examples in the Vancouver and Harvard guides produced by Public Health Scotland (PHS), and use these to complete a short quiz.
RefWorks pages on The Knowledge Network
There are lots of different study types, but which is the best for your information need? This final session included:
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing the best study type for your information need, but giving this some thought will save you time by getting you to the most relevant literature as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you would like a reminder of some of the key features of the main study types, try our interactive Padlet.
There are lots of controls in place for different study types. These are intended to minimise bias, but you should be aware that there are many ways that bias can occur in research. For an easy overview of some of the different types of bias read this blog on the CASP website
Ovid training
An introduction to different types of study design