Book Review

Abstract

R. Scrivener. Abingdon: Radcliffe Medical Press, 2002. ISBN 1-85775-593-6. 144 pp, £19.95. The Internet is a rich source of information, which will play an important role in life-long learning for health professionals. This book investigates the key competencies of search and information-mapping skills, which are required by this professional group in order to keep their practice current. Guidance is offered on how to focus a search question, how information resources may be categorised by type of evidence and which services may be searched to retrieve this evidence-based material. Ross Scrivener and his two contributing authors, Lesley Overall and Paula Lavis, current and former information specialists at the Royal College of Nursing, London, describe the use of three mapping techniques: the smart map, the concept map and the mind map. The authors explore how health professionals may apply these techniques to organise and represent knowledge graphically. The use of branching mind maps is demonstrated in the chapters which ‘map’ clusters of evidence-based resources relevant to care of older people, mental health, child health and primary care. The final chapter refers to recent initiatives, particularly within the National Health Service, to improve information competency, connectivity and content. The pages are clearly laid out with section headings and boxed explanatory information and examples. Each chapter has a summary section, is well referenced and offers a list of web addresses. The emphasis of resource selection is on UK sites. The mind maps in the subject specialist chapters offer a particularly useful illustration of the value of mapping sites. They provide a ready prompt for the range of resources within the evidence-based practice, quality improvement, patient information, gateways and health policy clusters.