The Master List for Biomedical Communication Research
In the year of 2024, many people think the phrase “do your research” means simply typing a question in Google and taking whatever pops out as fact. Especially with the introduction of AI into search engines, the results can be misleading in the best-case scenario or downright dangerous in the worst-case scenario.
Take this example as posted by @allgarbled on X:
Anyway… doing actual research is very important. Especially if you’re using information sources to teach, persuade, or make important decisions that could affect you and others. However, it can be difficult to know where to start or judge which sources are legitimate. I hope this guide can help you in your research endeavors and please reach out and let me know if there’s anything to add to this list!
Table of Contents:
Scientific Research Sources
General Research
Medicine
Surgery
Radiology
Visual References
Molecular
Human Anatomy References
Human Pathology References
Human Figure References
Useful Tools
Scientific Research Sources
Knowing where to start in scientific research can be tough. Here’s my compiled list of places to start when searching for accurate information:
General Research
Comprehensive online collection of scientific, technological, and medical journals, books, and reference works
SpringerOpen is Springer's portfolio of fully open-access journals and books, covering all areas of science
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Highly regarded peer-reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences.
Some open-source articles, others are locked.
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Open access journals.
Note: academics are divided on the quality of journals for this site as they are reported to “get articles out as quickly as possible”. Legitimate research is available on this site, but make sure to use various sources.
Medicine
Medical reference website for Drs.
Has Anatomy, Pathophysiology, Etiology etc.
Search engine to find scientific literature
Primarily biomedicine and health fields, and related disciplines such as life sciences, behavioral sciences, chemical sciences, and bioengineering
Lower-level information that a patient may read
Good overview of disease and symptoms
Mayo Clinic - Diseases and Conditions
Lower-level information that a patient may read
Good overview of disease and symptoms
Surgery
Surgical videos
*Free but you need to create an account
“Wikipedia” of orthopedics
“Wikipedia” of orthopedics
Radiology
Clinical radiology search engine
Radiology reference based on pathology
Visual References
Visual references are important to the Biomedical Communicator as well! Here’s a list of sources to find some helpful visual sources:
Molecular
“US data center for the global Protein Data Bank (PDB) archive of 3D structure data for large biological molecules (proteins, DNA, and RNA) essential for research and education in fundamental biology, health, energy, and biotechnology”.
Human Anatomy References
Acland’s Video Atlas of Human Anatomy
Amazing videos of cadaveric anatomy
$$ A yearly subscription is $120
Some videos are posted for free on YouTube/ website
I like using this app on my iPad to get an idea of anatomy at different angles in 3D space when drawing
$$ Various price points from $35-200 per year
Human Pathology References
A clinical handbook showing skin condition signs and symptoms on black and brown skin
$$ FREE!
Human Figure References
Full nude figure references
$$ Free and paid content
Full nude figure references
$$ Membership required; $36 per year
Useful Tools
Lastly, sometimes there are tools that can aid you in your research. The following have helped me and others in our endeavors:
If you come across a locked article, this extension searches for a free version online
Free, easy to use tool to help you catalogue and sort your research
