Vet Tech 100 Annotated Bibliography
Tracking Down Sources
Looking for Books?
Try these resources
- the Library Catalog. Start at the Library home page and click the FIND - Books and Videos link in the top left.
-Ebrary database - a collection of online books. Start at the Library's Articles and Database page and open the Ebrary database. You'll need to download reader software to use the books - it's a quick and easy process.
- The Vet Tech office may have some suggestions for you, too!
Here are a few reference books to try at the Library.
Merck Manual for Pet Health (Home Edition) REF SF 413 .M47 2007
Merck Veterinary Manual - REF SF 748.M47 2005
Common Diseases of Companion Animals - REF SF 991 .S878 2007
Encyclopedia of Bioethics - REF QH 332 .E52 2004
Periodical Articles (Magazines, Journals and Newspapers)
- You'll find these in printed form at the library
Magazines about specific animals. Aimed at pet owners and to some extent vet techs.
Bird Talk
Catnip
Equus
Reptiles
Whole Dog Journal
Professional Level Magazines and Journals
Journal of the American Veterinary Association (JAVMA)
Veterinary Economics
Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Technician
Find Articles in the library's online databases, too!
ProQuest, EBSCO and PubMed Central
1) Start at the library home page. http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/Library/
2) Click Article and Databases in the top left corner of the page. This will take you to the library's databases page.
3) Click the name of the database you'd like to search. These databases are the best for this particular project. Click on the name of each for tips about searching the database.
You can use these databases from on campus or from home! Either way, follow the steps listed above. Click here for directions if you'd like to read more about connecting from off campus.
Websites
Here are a few suggestions to start with!
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
http://www.avma.org/
Search this professional level website for articles, hot news items, information sheets about various conditions and issues (including public health concerns like avian flu, etc!), and other information.
Merck Veterinary Manual
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp
This is an online copy of the print manual (available through our Fort Steilacoom library). It contains professional level information about all kinds of animal health conditions including info about the origins of a disease, symptoms, diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
Veterinary Partner
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/
Cats, dogs, reptiles and small mammals are covered by this website primarily geared to pet owners. Most information is written by vets or other veterinary professionals. Dates are included so it's easy to tell how current the information is.
WebVet
http://webvet.com/
Here's another website geared for the general public with information written by or reviewed by vets. Information about dogs, cats, birds and small pets can be searched or browsed using their nicely formatted menus.
National Library of Medicine Veterinary Resources
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/veterinarymed.html
Links to animal health organizations and veterinary associations. Also links to free databases on FDA-approved animal drug products, foreign animal diseases, primatology, toxicology and more.
Center for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/
Good site for information on zoonoses (diseases that can be passed from animal to human and vice-versa). Use the search box at the top to find information on specific diseases.
What words should I use when I type in a search???
A) Don't be too general. Remember to ask for EXACTLY what you're looking for!
- if your topic is cloning. Don't just type "cloning" into google or you'll get lots of stuff that doesn't relate to veterinary topics. Instead try a search like cloning and pets
B) Try using synonyms or related words.
- In addition to pets, try "companion animals" or dogs or cats
- cloning AND ("companion animals" OR dogs OR cats)
C) Use professional terms when looking for professional level articles and more common terms when looking for info for pet owners.
- canines AND immunizations
- dogs and shots
D) Be sure to try several searches using different words. Please don't give up if you don't find the perfect article or website after only one or two tries!
EVALUATE - EVALUATE - EVALUATE!!!
When using information from any source, books - magazines - newspapers - documentaries - websites, be sure to ask yourself:
Who?
- Who is the author or the sponsoring organization for the site?
- Are they qualified and reputable? How is this indicated?
- Who is the audience for the information? The general public? Professionals or other knowledgeable people in a field of study?
What?
- Is the information accurate? Are sources and statistics cited? Can the information be corroborated?
- Is it gramatically correct and free of spelling errors?
- When was it published? Is it current. On the web... when was the page created or updated? (This is NOT the copyright date!)
Why?
- Does the author (or organization sponsoring a website) seem to have a particular point of view or bias?
- This is not inherently bad, just be aware there is a particular slant to the info.
- Are broad generalizations used? (words like always, never, every instead of usually, seldom) If so, be careful of these all encompassing statements.
