How can I find the information I'm looking for?
The site has been designed to make it as easy as possible for people to find the information they need, and there are lots of ways to do it. Some of the quickest and easiest are described below:
Use the main 'drop-down' menu
The main 'drop-down' menu appears on the left-hand side of every page on the SMMGP web site (apart from the Search Results page). It allows you to access almost any page instantly from wherever you happen to be, and even floats down the page with you so that it's always in view. You can either 'click' straight on a heading, or choose from any subsections that 'drop-down' as you move your mouse cursor over the menu.Use the Site Map
The Site Map is like a contents page for the web site and contains text-based links that will take you straight to any page you need.Use the Resource Library's Main Catalogue
The Resource Library's Main Catalogue allows you to find items of interest by subject area. It covers most sections of the Resource Library (apart from the SMMGP Clinical & Policy Updates) including all the articles in past SMMGP newsletters.Use the Search facility
At the bottom of every page is a 'search' box. Just type in a word or phrase and 'click' on the 'Go!' button to bring up a page of links to any relevant items on the site. For hints and tips on successful searching, see "How do I use the Search facility?".Use the handy links on the Welcome page
The Welcome page has short-cut links to several popular pages within the site, all in the grey 'feature boxes' to the right-hand side. Dr Fixit's box always has a link to the most recent article on the News & Events page. The next box down displays current job adverts. The third box contains links directly to the Clinical Guidelines and Network Newsletters pages, and the final box displays random 'hints'.Just follow your nose!
All pages on the site have navigation links to help you get to where you need to be. For instance, on the Resource Library's main page there are a number of links to pages within that section, such as Local Guidelines. When you click on the Local Guidelines link you are taken to the Local Guidelines page from which you can select other choices. You can follow links from page to page without getting lost in the site because each page has a 'breadcrumb navigation trail' at the top to show you where you are in the web site's structure.If in doubt, click on the logo!
If for any reason you get completely lost, simply 'click' on the SMMGP logo at the top of each page to go back to the Welcome page.
How do I use the Search facility?
The Search facility appears at the bottom of each page. When you type words or phrases into the search box and 'click' on 'Go!', you will be taken to a Search Results page containing links to any relevant pages on the site.
Some hints and tips for successful searching are as follows:
Enclose phrases in quotes
If you want to find articles and documents containing a specific phrase then enclose the phrase in quotes (e.g." 'shared care' " ), otherwise the search will still look for articles and documents containing the words you've typed, but will not care whether or not the words appear next to each other or in the right order!Don't bother using capital letters
The search engine does not differentiate between upper and lower case letters, so a search for "Clinical Guidelines" will produce the same results as one for "clinical GUIDELINES".Exclude words by using a minus sign
If you want your search to find articles and documents that specifically don't include certain words, put a minus sign before them (e.g. "methadone-maintennance"). Use partial words
If you want to save typing, or aren't sure of the spelling of any particularly long words, try a shortened version (e.g. "benzo" rather than "benzodiazepine"). The search engine will match partial words as well as full words!
Does the Search facility cover the SMMGP Online Forums?
No! The SMMGP's Online Forums are completely separate to the main SMMGP web site and have their own search facility. To search the Forums, simply go to any page on the Forums area and look for the 'Search' box. All the hints and tips shown above (see How do I use the Search facility?) still apply.What if the site just doesn't have what I'm looking for?
If you've scoured the SMMGP site and just can't find any relevant information, then try the Useful Links page for other web sites which may be able to help. Alternatively, have a look at the SMMGP's free Online Forums, where you might be able to find the information you need, or at least be pointed in the right direction.