michigan informatics

Using Blogs to Stay Informed

Another popular Internet information tool is a blog or web log. Blogs may be an online personal journal publicizing opinions or an individual's log of news items or commentary focused on a particular topic.

Within the field of public health, there are a growing number of blogs on various topics. Blogs have also been used to document the work of public health students in the field. Two recent examples from students at the University of Michigan School of Public Health include: 1) Tsunami-tsummer  a blog chronicling the relief work in Banda Aceh, Indonesia and 2) PHSAT blog from students working in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.  Professional organizations have also started using blogs to share information on hot topics. The APHA has created the Get Ready for Flu Blog as a resource for the public on pandemic flu. Unlike web sites, readers can post comments about postings on the blog. These comments are viewable by other readers of the blog. This creates a dynamic forum for discussion. Additional public health related blogs can be found by using search engines such as Technorati which tracks over 33 million blogs for news.