NUR 213--Complex Health Concepts

The Research Process--

1: Identify your topic. It’s helpful to state your topic as a question. For example, if you’re interested in researching heart disease, you could ask the questions: “What causes heart disease?” or “How is heart disease treated?” Turning your topic into a question helps narrow down your research.

2: Develop search terms. Before doing any searching, brainstorm some search terms you might use.  This helps give your research some direction. Then, as  you continue on in the research process, add more search terms as you think of them.

3: Conduct a search. Start with the library.  Search the library catalog to find some books on the topic. Then visit the library website to search the library databases. Then search the Internet—but be careful what websites you use! Not everything on the Internet is trustworthy and accurate.

4: Evaluate your information. Make sure you’re using reliable, up-to-date information. Before using a source in your paper, find out where the information came from. Who wrote the information? Are they experts in the field? What are their credentials? What’s their purpose (are they trying to inform you or sell you a product/service)? When did they write it? Is it up-to-date?

5: Cite your sources. You will have to state where you found your information. As you find sources you want to use, start keeping track of where you found it, who wrote it, and when it was written. For help citing your sources, visit the Individualized Learning Center. 

Peer Review in 3 Minutes

The following video explains the peer review process.

North Carolina State University. (2014, May 1). Peer Review in 3 Minutes. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/rOCQZ7QnoN0   

If the embedded video doesn't work, you can copy and paste the following into your browser: https://youtu.be/rOCQZ7QnoN0

What is ...

• a Scholarly Article? A scholarly article (sometimes called a "journal article" or just an "article") is what a researcher writes when he/she wants to publish their research findings. For example, if a medical researcher conducts a study, they will write an article detailing how they conducted the study and what they found. They then submit their articles to a journal.
• a Journal? A journal (sometimes called an "academic journal," a "scholarly journal," or a "peer-reviewed journal") is a publication that contains scholarly articles written by experts/researchers in a particular field or discipline. For example, researchers in the medical field will publish their findings in medical journals like the Journal of the American Medical Association, the British Medical Journal, or the New England Journal of Medicine. 
• a Database? A database (sometimes called an "academic database" or "research database") is an online collection of resources, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, images, reports, and academic journals. Some databases focus on a specific topic, such as CINAHL (nursing and allied health). Other databases cover a variety of subjects, such as Science Direct (various sciences, including health and medicine). You can search databases using Boolean Searching.
• Boolean Searching? Boolean searching is a method of searching for online resources. You can't search the databases in the same way you search Google or other search engines. You must use keywords and phrases. In order to expand or limit your search, you can use the Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT, & NEAR. For more information on how to use Boolean Operators, see the Tutorials tab.
• a Search Engine? Search engines, such as Google and Bing, use your search terms to find websites that contain your search terms. While they're great at finding restaurant reviews and movie times, they aren't very helpful when it comes to college-level research. Why aren't they helpful? First, anyone can create a website that can then show up in a Google search. Therefore, you can't always trust the information you find online. Second, Google doesn't give you access to academic journals and databases. 

How to Read a Scholarly Article

The following video explains how to read a scholarly article.

Western University Libraries. (2012, April 26). How to Read a Scholarly Article. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/3SmOq6gENPM      

If the video is unavailable, visit: https://youtu.be/3SmOq6gENPM