Skip to Main Content
The Library

PH 120: Health Policies for Healthy Lifestyles: Home

This guide is designed to help you navigate Library-licensed and open access research sources beyond what you might easily find in UC Library Search.

  • Use the front page to find quick links to frequently requested resources and tools.
  • Explore the tabs on the left to find curated links to specialized resources for different subfields, methodologies, and research questions.

You can access thousands of e-journals, e-books, databases, and more through UC San Diego Library.

For on-campus access, make sure that you are connected to the UCSD-Protected wifi.

To access library resources from off-campus:

Option 1: Connect through UC Library Search

Sign in to UC Library Search with OpenAthens for seamless access.

Option 2: Sign in at a Publisher or Resource Site

  • Look for 'Sign in Through My Institution' or 'Access via OpenAthens'.
  • Select 'University of California San Diego' and choose OpenAthens Federation if prompted.

Option 3: Connect through Campus VPN

  • Download and open the VPN AnyConnect 
  • Select "2- Step-Secured - all thru UCSD" when prompted for connection type
  • Approve your sign-in through Duo

For help with troubleshooting, visit our Connect to Library Resources page.

Open the slides in speakers notes view or listen to the audio.

Open the slides in speakers notes view or listen to the audio.

The TL;DR

First, search for secondary sources that summarize key policies related to your topic. Briefs, reports, and other publications written by government agencies, advocacy organizations, and/or aimed at policymakers can be particularly useful. Legal encyclopedias, law review articles, scholarly articles, books, and news articles are all also useful.

Second, using the citations to legal/policy primary sources listed or mentioned in your secondary sources, locate the primary sources themselves. Different databases and websites contain different content, so pay attention to:

  • Jurisdiction: Is it a federal, state, or local policy, or are you comparing across multiple locations?
  • Branch of government and type of law/policy: Is it legislation, a rule/regulation, or caselaw? 
  • Whether the law/policy is proposed (e.g., bill, proposed regulation, case in progress), enacted/finalized (e.g., public law/chapter, final regulation, published court opinion), and/or codified (e.g., citation to the US Code, Code of Federal Regulations, etc.).