Resource Guide
for Disaster Medicine and Public Health

Help / Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health?

• The Resource Guide is a Web-accessible bibliographic database of electronic resources related to disaster medicine and public health. Some of the resources focus on how the public health workforce can improve its readiness to respond to emergencies; others provide guidance on how to mitigate and manage the public health consequences of disasters.
• The Resource Guide is a tool for practice-based disaster medicine and public health professionals who need to find disaster medicine and public health information in the fullest form, and in the quickest way possible.

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Who should use it?

• Materials are selected for those who work or do research in disaster medicine and public health. Prior to June 2011, records were selected primarily for the public health workforce.

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What's in it, and what's not?

• The Resource Guide provides access only to those items freely available on the Web in an electronic format. Some resources may require a free registration to access. Materials available only in print or that are accessed through paid subscriptions are not included.
• The Resource Guide includes a variety of materials including research and review articles, guidelines and protocols, Web sites and fact sheets (see Publication Types for a complete list.) See Sources Scanned for Resource Guide Content for a list of organizations that are reviewed for current content.

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How often is the database updated?

• New resources are added to the database as found. A date stamp is provided on the bottom of each page indicating when the database was last updated.

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How do I use it?

• A simple keyword search will search for your term in the following fields: Title & Subtitle, Annotation, Author, Source (name or acronym), Access Notes, Standard Number, URL, Publication Type, and Format.

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What if I don't find what I'm looking for?

• If the Resource Guide is returning no results for your search, try a broader subject approach (for example, Vaccines instead of Vaccinia virus).
• Still no luck? Contact us. We will investigate any problems with the database and attempt to find relevant resources for your search term(s).

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What if I can't view a particular document format?

• First check the resource web site for links to browser plug-ins or external programs that are required for viewing documents or media files hosted on that site.
• If you don't find the necessary information on the hosting site, or a resource URL points directly to a document or media file, you can refer to the plug-in directory for links to commonly used plug-ins.
• Still no luck? Contact us. We will attempt to assist you with finding a viewer for a specific format and platform.

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