Resources and Links
The projects we undertake span a diversity of topics. We often work with multi-disciplinary groups whose members can be geographically dispersed. We work on funding submissions to many different types of organizations and foundations, all of whose policies, procedures and calls for submission are varied. Thus we to have to know where to find relevant information, and how keep track of the constantly changing information environment in order to to keep our knowledge, and the services we offer our clients, current and relevant. The Internet is a great help in enabling access to much of the information we need. However, the Internet is constantly evolving, with increasing amounts of information available, and not all of which is easily findable: either because it is not indexed properly, it is hidden behind firewalls, or placed deep within a repository that is not well known. This can be a challenge. We employ many ways of trying to keep on top of it all. The following is an attempt to share some of the resources we use regularly with visitors to this site. We hope this is useful and would like to build on this resource, so we welcome any feedback. Click on a link below to access the content associated with it on this page:
Funding Organizations
Searching the biomedical and life sciences literature
Searching for systematic reviews
Keeping Current
Useful Tools and Reference Resources
Some thought-provoking resources
Funding Organizations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency responsible for funding health research in Canada. CIHR was created in 2000 under the authority of the CIHR Act and reports to Parliament through the Minister of Health. CIHR consists of 13 "virtual" institutes, a structure that is unique in the world. Each institute supports a broad spectrum of research in its topic areas and, in consultation with its stakeholders, sets priorities for research in those areas. The links down the left of the page provide access to resources for finding funding calls, viewing decisions and other useful information. If you need help using the site, this page: How to Use CIHR’s Funding Opportunity Database can help you get started.
Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF)
CHSRF’s new 5-year plan (2009-2013) has three strategic priorities: to engage and support citizens, to accelerate evidence-informed change, and to promote policy dialogue. The site is pretty easy to navigate. It has some great reference resources under its Publications and Resources and topical Links pages that fit with its mandate.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is the federal agency that promotes and supports university-based research and training in the humanities and social sciences. SSHRC-supported research in the social sciences and humanities enhances our understanding of modern social, cultural, technological, environmental, economic and wellness issues. It raises profound questions about who we are as human beings and what we need in order to thrive in complex and challenging times. The section of the website dedicated to Funding information provides information on upcoming deadlines, application procedures and access to the necessary forms.
Canadian Foundation for Innovation
Only eligible institutions – and not individual researchers – may submit a proposal to the CFI. Check with your institution as to whether your research idea qualifies for any of the CFI’s funding opportunities. The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. The CFI's mandate is to strengthen the capacity of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development that benefits Canadians. The CFI normally funds up to 40 percent of a project’s infrastructure costs which are invested in partnership with eligible institutions and their funding partners from the public, private, and voluntary sectors who provide the remainder.
US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grants
NIH funds grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts that support the advancement of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems to meet the NIH mission of extending healthy life and reducing the burdens of illness and disability. While NIH awards many grants specifically for research, it also provides grant opportunities that support research-related activities, including: construction, training, career development, conferences, resource grants and more. Grant application basics helps in getting up to speed on the process and eligibility criteria and to access guides, tips and tutorials.
European Commission: CORDIS: Framework 7 (FP7) Grants
The CORDIS website is the gateway to European research and development. It is therefore chock full of information relating to various funding calls, finding partners, meetings, conference information, funded research and new funding calls. The set of links down the left of the Funding page has a lot of information to help you find funding and direction on applying for funding. There is a reference section which points to searchable databases of projects, programmes, acronyms and contacts for further help. A good overview of the FP7 and the Health theme is presented in this set of slides.
Non-European researchers who wish to submit proposals under the FP7 programme may wish to consult this document: International dimension of FP7: process, instruments and trends
Searching the biomedical and life sciences literature
Pubmed Central (PMC)
PMC is the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature.
PMC International (PMCI)
PMCI is a collaborative effort between the US NIH and NLM (National Library of Medicine), the publishers whose journal content makes up the PMC archive, and organizations in other countries that share the interest of the NIH and NLM in archiving life sciences literature. Currently the NLM supports two PMCI Centres: UKPMC (United Kingdom) and PMC Canada.
BioMed Central
BioMed is a Science, Technology and Medicine publisher and has pioneered the open access publishing model, with the conviction that open access is essential to ensure the rapid and efficient communication of research findings. All original research articles published by BioMed Central are made freely and permanently accessible online immediately upon publication.
Searching for Systematic Reviews
The Cochrane Collaboration
The Cochrane Collaboration is an independent, not-for profit organization, funded by a variety of sources including governments, universities, hospital trusts, charities and personal donations. Its contributors are a mix of volunteers and paid staff based all around the world. The core mission of this collaboration is to produce systematic reviews of health interventions, however its contributors are involved in a number of related activities, including advocacy for evidence-based decision-making, providing training in Cochrane Review preparation, developing the methodology for preparing reviews, and translating them from English into a variety of different languages.
Keeping current
E-watch newsletter on innovation in health services
Production and dissemination of the E-Watch Newsletter is supported by the Quebec Population Health Research Network (QPHRN). This newsletter, with its focus on innovation in health services, aims at spreading knowledge and promoting the use of research by policy- and decision-makers. On a weekly basis, the newsletter provides information about relevant events for health services professionals and decision-makers; publications promoting knowledge utilization in the health services; and it features particular web sites that provide content on specific themes. The E-watch coordinator is Sébastien Levesque.
HealthEdition.com: Canada's Health Newsweekly
Health Edition is a free weekly, independent online publication from Krysgar Communications Inc. Articles featuring interviews with the top newsmakers in health care across Canada, as well as news items gathered from various news sources, government and from Hansard (the official record of the proceedings of the federal House of Commons in Ottawa as well as each of the 10 provincial legislatures) are presented in the newsletter. I find this a very useful resource to keep in touch current developments in health reform in Canada.
US National Institutes of Health Multimedia News
Off the Shelf: ResourceShelf Newsletter
Off the Shelf is a daily newsletter that outlines resources of interest to information professionals, educators and journalists. It offers a short write-up and links to resources on a range of topics that could cover new resources available on the Internet, new policies or practices that can affect information work and new tools for research. The resources are focussed and of high quality. Also available from this resource, is Docuticker, which is a daily update of new reports from government agencies, NGO’s, think tanks and other groups.
The Scout Report
Since 1994, the Internet Scout Project, based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus, has focused on research and development projects that provide better tools and services for finding, filtering and delivering online information and metadata. The project's acclaimed reports and resource archive provide educators, students, researchers, and librarians with fast, convenient ways of staying informed about the most valuable online resources. The Scout Report, is one of the Web's oldest and most respected current awareness services. It has been published every Friday since 1994. I have been a subscriber since 1998.
Researchbuzz
This is an eclectic blog by veteran researcher, author and blogger Tara Calishain, who has been writing about search engine developments, digital archives, online museums and more since 1998. An apt self-description: ``ResearchBuzz is designed to cover the world of Internet research. To that end this site provides almost daily updates on search engines, new data managing software, browser technology, large compendiums of information, Web directories — whatever.``
Search Engine Report
This is a free monthly newletter from Search Engine Watch that recaps top news stories about search engines. The site offers great information, webcasts, white papers and more on the developments in search technologies.
Social Media: A guide for researchers
Social media is recognized to have a significant impact on how people communicate, interact and collaborate. It has come to be recognized as an important and necessary component of any researcher's toolbox. However, as it is still a very new component, there is much to be discovered, explored and understood regarding its capabilities, utilities and practical uses. This useful guide was produced by Alan Cann of the Department of Biology at the University of Leicester, and Konstantia Dimitriou and Tristram Hooley of the International Centre for Guidance Studies. It is published by the Research Information Network.
Useful Tools and Reference Resources
Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide
Logic models are very useful when planning a project. A logic model reduces complexity, gets all participants focussed on why the project is being undertaken, what is being proposed, and how the project will be executed. The Kellogg Foundation development guide is an excellent resource to help you think about ways to structure your logic model.
Peer-to-Peer Healthcare
This 2011 publication offers useful insights in reporting findings from the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project that examines the use of personal online networks in managing health. The report is based on a national telephone survey of 3,001 adults and on an analysis of data based on an online survey of 2,156 members of the National Organization of Rare Disorders, who wrote short essays about their use of the internet in caring for themselves or their loved ones.
Some thought-provoking resources
Knowledge Brokering: Transferring knowledge to Action
Knowledge brokering is a developing concept in research translation. The findings of the Psychiatry Department of the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences from a recent research project offer insights into knowledge brokering as a way to improve knowledge to action in health care policy and practice. The components of the framework are presented visually with links down the right to the full report, and to specific components of objectives, method, findings and recommendations. Funding agencies and researchers will find useful guidance for improving dissemination and relevance of research.
New Thinking
This weekly newsletter, published since 1996 by Gerry McGovern (speaker, writer and consultant on web content management issues since 1994) focuses on best practice in managing customer-centric, task-focused websites that encourage knowledge production rather than information overload. The newsletter offers interesting insights and opinion on how we can create content that can be turned into knowledge by the people who read it.
Technology Review
This website and associated content is produced by Technology Review Inc., an independent media company owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It offers fascinating content and well lives up to its aim: to promote the understanding of emerging technologies and to analyze their commercial, social and political impacts.