Health Policy Research

Background : defining your issue

Take time at the beginning of your search to browse a wide variety of print, Web, and database sources. Time spent browsing your topic in a wide range of sources, early in the definition process, will result in effective searching in the later steps required to complete the Issue Brief.

Use keyword searching to identify subject headings in each database that provide sources relevant to your topic. Use the subject headings you identify to "explore further" and with greater precision.

Read/skim abstracts, article titles, and full-text sources (when available) to gain a better understanding of the many facets/aspects of your topic.

Begin to compile lists of:

• keywords, keyword combinations, and subject headings that produce good search results
• note groups, people, organizations, government agencies for whom this issue is problematic
• note Major events (legislation, creation of a presidential commission) that have influenced the issue's development

Continue to add to your lists as you complete your definition:

• The CAT -- Use keywords, subject headings, authors, organization names, and names to identify books, government documents, and other materials sources related to your topic
• CQ Researcher -- Weekly "magazine" that explores in-depth a single "hot issue" currently being discussed in the news. Topics include social issues, politics, economics, the environment, education, science, and more. Each issue includes an essay outlining the issue, a pro-con feature, a chronology, and a bibliography. 1923 to the present.
• CQ Weekly Report -- A weekly news magazine reporting on the activities in the U.S. Congress including the status of bills, committee and floor activity, debates, roll-call votes, and congressional-executive branch relations.
• National Journal -- Full text of key magazines, newsletters, books and directories from the National Journal Group. Focused on government, politics, and public policy.

Locating Policy Papers

Many policy papers have been written on your topics by government agencies and interest groups. These reports can help you identify the major issues and players engaged in discussing your topic.

• CRS Reports -- The Congressional Research Service, a branch of the Library of Congress, produces excellent reports on a wide of topics including health care policy. The reports are designed for policymakers who are working on legislation or study public policy issues.
• GAO (Government Accountability Office) Reports -- the "audit" arm of Congress, the Government Accountability Office researches the effectiveness of government of programs and government spending.
• PolicyFile -- reports from public policy think tanks, university research programs, research organizations, and publishers. Many of these organizations are the major "players" in health policy debates.

Key Government Agencies

Use key government resources to locate government policies and services.

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality -- the lead federal agency charged with improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -- Formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the Center is responsible for administering the Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments), and several other health-related programs
• Department of Health and Human Services -- other agenies within HHS may be helpful.
• LexisNexis Congressional -- track congressional activities and legislation
• LexisNexis State Capital -- explore activities in the states

Research the Stakeholders

Find out more about the "players"

• Associations Unlimited -- Basic info on a wide range of organizations.
• PolicyFile -- reports from public policy think tanks, university research programs, research organizations and publishers. Many of these organizations are the major "players" in health policy debates. Links to documents and organization web site.
• Open Secrets -- track money from interest groups in the political process

Locate Journal and Newspaper Articles

Journal and Newspaper articles can give you a more in-depth view of your issue

• ABI/Inform -- A subset of ProQuest Direct (below) this database focuses on business journals and newspapers.
• ProQuest -- ProQuest Direct indexes 5,000+ magazines, journals, and newspapers. It contains full text (word file with no photos or tables) or images (looks like real paper publication) to over 2,000 journals, and full text to 150+ newspapers.
• PubMed -- National Library of Medicine's (NLM) premier bibliographic database. It includes the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and the preclinical sciences.

Statistics

Find Statistics to back up your arguments

• American Factfinder -- source for population, housing, economic and geographic data
• National Center for Health Statistics> -- The nation's principal health statistics agency, it compiles statistical information to improve health and guide actions and policies
• LexisNexis Statistical -- index to statistics and data contained in federal agency, state government, and private organization publications. Also contains some tabular data.
• Vital Statistics on American Politics -- more than 200 tables on U.S. elections and political parties, public opinion and voting, the media, the three branches of U.S. government, foreign, military, social and economic policy. Contains some time series data. Data can be exported for use in excel or other statistical software.