thebasicsfornurses

Basic Research for Basic Research for Nursing StudentsNursing Students

Mark PuterbaughMark PuterbaughInformation Services LibrarianInformation Services Librarian

Warner Memorial LibraryWarner Memorial LibraryEastern UniversityEastern University

St. Davids, PA 19087St. Davids, PA [email protected]@eastern.edu

Lesson 1 – Indentify and Develop Lesson 1 – Indentify and Develop the Topicthe Topic

State precisely the subject to be explored.State precisely the subject to be explored.

• Writing a paper about “diabetes” is much too broad a concept.

• Writing about “diabetes mellitus and insulin-dependence” is better but still too broad.

• Writing about “diabetes mellitus and insulin-dependence and the elderly” is focusing more. But, it’s still too broad.

State the topic as a question.State the topic as a question.

• How do the elderly cope with insulin-dependence on their own?

• Does “self-care” give the elderly a sense of empowerment over their disease?

• What are the social implications of insulin-dependence for the elderly?

What do you want to know about this topic?

Lesson 2 - Find Background Lesson 2 - Find Background InformationInformation

Look for background information in the Look for background information in the

newsnews.. • Newspapers• Magazines• Trade journals• News Digests

Health topics are important in the popular media.

Use general encyclopedias for background Use general encyclopedias for background knowledgeknowledge..

The encyclopedia is a wonderful resource.

Don’t use it as your only source. It is too general for serious research.

An encyclopedia is an important source for words and ideas commonly associated with a topic. It is a place to begin!!

Britannica Online has some fine brief articles on health and medical subjects.

Use subject specific dictionaries or Use subject specific dictionaries or encyclopedias to focus ideas.encyclopedias to focus ideas.

• The Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer

• Encyclopedia of Health Care Management

• The Encyclopedia of Nursing Research (found in eBrary)

• Use the medical dictionaries found online in Credo Reference

Use periodical indexes for additional terms.Use periodical indexes for additional terms.

Paper or Internet based indexes are not only places to find article information. They contain a wealth of additional terms that may help you track information in ways you may not normally consider.

On the Web

• CINAHL

• PubMed (Search the Medical Subject Headings)

Paper

Nursing Studies Index

CINAHL

Follow the ConnectionsFollow the Connections

Look under authors’ names. Gather subject-headings

Search cross-references

Use subject specific bibliographies and Use subject specific bibliographies and indexes for academic research.indexes for academic research.

Subject specific bibliographies and indexes are complied for and by researchers in a particular field. They provide information on a level deeper and more focused than general indexes.

The 3-1 Medical Reference books found in Net Library provides an excellent bibliography to a variety of materials.

Don’t forget the textbook!Don’t forget the textbook!

• Your professor chooses textbooks for a (believe it or not) reason.

• Using the text help’s the student researcher to gear their work to the intended audience.

• Check the footnotes and bibliographies for important leads to the subject matter.

• Never forget to examine class notes and bibliographies for other important clues to follow.

Lesson 3 – Search for Relevant Lesson 3 – Search for Relevant BooksBooks

Use the Web catalog to find books in Use the Web catalog to find books in the Library.the Library.

• Search using the background terms you gathered.

• Limit searches for accuracy.

• Use logical operators:– AND– OR– NOT

Classification SystemsClassification Systems

• Library of Congress Classification

• Dewey Decimal Classification

RA771 .R62 2009

Leadership in interprofessional health education and practice / [edited by] Charlotte Brasic Royeen, Gail M. Jensen, Robin Ann HarvanRoyeen, Charlotte Brasic.

1 copy available at Warner Memorial Library in STACKS

613.071 G829 2004

Health education and health promotion : learner-centered instructional strategies / Jerrold S. Greenberg 5th ed. Greenberg, Jerrold S.

1 copy available at Curriculum Lab in CURPROF

Other ways to find books in the Library’s Other ways to find books in the Library’s

CatalogCatalog

• Browse the call numbers• Follow the subject heading links• Search the subject headings

E-books

Access thousands of academic books from the Library’s collection of e-books.

The titles and the full-text of the books are searchable.

Portions of the books can be printed or saved to a file.

• Credo Reference Books• eBrary• NetLibrary• PsycBooks

Other Libraries’ Books

• EZ-Borrow– Allows you to search 40 area academic and research

libraries.– Provides access to millions of books.– Books are delivered to the Library for easy pick-up.– Fast delivery.


• Inter-library Loan– Access millions of books available from libraries

everywhere.– Easy online form to fill out.– Takes about 10 business days to receive the book.


• WorldCat– It is the catalog of catalogs with records of millions of

books from around the world.– Accessed through the Library’s website.– Request books through Interlibrary Loan or EZ-

Borrow.

Lesson 4 – Search for Relevant Lesson 4 – Search for Relevant Journal ArticlesJournal Articles

Find the periodical type that you need.

• Popular Magazines– Articles are written by journalists. – Found at most bookstores.– Good for background information.


• Trade Magazines or Journals– Written by journalists who are experts in the field.– Articles tend toward the business side of the

profession.– Good for background information.


• Peer–reviewed (Scholarly) Journals– Articles written by subject experts, professionals in the field.

– Articles are reviewed by other scholars (peers) before publication.

– Articles are often based upon original research.

– Articles are an authoritative resource, excellent for use in research.

Find the database that meets your need.

• Background Information– Lexis Academic

• Popular magazines• Trade Journals• Legal news and Information• Excellent for background information.

– Facts On File (Facts.com)• News Digests• Presents Pros and Cons of important topics


• Mixed Popular and Scholarly Publications– EBSCOhost

• CINAHL

• Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition

– Cambridge Scientific– WilsonWeb– FirstSearch


• Collections of Scholarly Journals– Annual Reviews– SAGE Premier– JSTOR– Project Muse

Search using specific terms.Search using specific terms.

• Search using the background terms you gathered.

• Limit searches for accuracy.

• Use logical operators:– AND– OR– NOT

Remember to follow the links.Remember to follow the links.

Lists articles that have used this article..

Find other articles by the authors.

Follow subject headings for additional articles.

Lists articles used by the authors

View the Online TutorialsView the Online Tutorials

Useful ResourcesFlash Videos• CINAHL Keyword Search • CINAHL Keyword Search (Korean) • CINAHL Subject Search (Korean)

PowerPont Slideshows• CINAHL Keyword Search• CINAHL Keyword Search Korean language version • CINAHL Subject Search • CINAHL Subject Search Korean language version • Health Source Search • Health Source Search Korean language version • Finding Free Full-text PubMed Central Articles in PubMed • Searching Beyond PubMed Central: Free Full-text Articles in PUBMED

Other Libraries’ Journals

• Inter-library Loan– Access millions of journals available from libraries

everywhere.– Easy online form to fill out.– Takes about 10 business days to receive the book.

Lesson 5 - Find Internet Resources

Use the Library’s Libguides and Website Collections

Your Library’s website is a great place to search for materials on the Internet.

The librarians researched and organized the best materials for your use.

Use the Library’s LibguidesUse the Library’s Libguides

The Libguides present resources organized by subject matter and type.

You can find information about books, databases, journals and websites. The Libguides are searchable and offer contact

information should you have further questions.

http://libguides.eastern.edu

Use Government SitesUse Government Sites

The U.S. government produces a large number of reliable resources for health, medicine and the biosciences.

They provide a very rich resource for research at every level.

Consult with a librarian to find and use.

Use Government SitesUse Government Sites

The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for regulating and supervising the safety of foods, dietary supplements, drugs, vaccines, biological medical products, blood products, medical devices, radiation-emitting devices, veterinary products, and cosmetics.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

Use Government DatabasesUse Government Databases

PubMed is an on-line database developed by the National Library of Medicine that contains over 12 million citations and abstracts.

CDC WONDER is an interactive database system that provides access to a wide variety of reports, guidelines, and numeric public health data series.

Use Professional Organization SitesUse Professional Organization Sites

Organizational sites can provide invaluable resources and information into your research topic.

The Library’s Libguides list many of the most recognized professional organizations.

Use Academic SitesUse Academic Sites

Many academic sites will post class notes, videos and other course related materials. These can provide valuable leads in doing your research.

When searching the Internet look for “.edu” at the end of an address.

Use Megasites and Search EnginesUse Megasites and Search Engines

There are many search tools constructed by subject specialists and librarians. These can provide the researcher with a tool to the best content on the internet.

Google Scholar and Google Books can be used to find additional resources.

Lesson 6 - Evaluate What You Find

Evaluating Your Research SourcesEvaluating Your Research Sources

With so many resources available it’s easy to be confused.

If you are not sure whether a work is popular or scholarly ask a librarian!

They have tools that can determine if a publication is right for your research.

Evaluating Internet ResourcesEvaluating Internet Resources

There are many websites with information on evaluating the quality of Internet resources.

The Virtual Paper Chase is considered one of the best resources to help you understand how to evaluate.

Always consult with a Librarian when you have a doubt.

Ask Yourself the More Questions!

• Who? Know the authors. Is this a recognized authority? With what institution are they affiliated?

• What? Know the quality of the article. Is it a scholarly publication?

• Where? Know the source of the information. In what journal, book or website did you find this information?

• When? How long ago was the article published? Is there something more recent on this topic?

Lesson 7 - Cite Using a StandardFormat

American Psychological AssociationAmerican Psychological AssociationAPA FormatAPA Format

• Use the APA manual for research conducted in the Social Sciences, Heath and General Science.• Found in the Reference Stacks, call number BF76.7 .P83.• APA Guidelines for Citing Internet Resources are available from URL: http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html

Database Tools for CitingDatabase Tools for Citing

Many of the article databases provide a means to include the proper citation format with a full-text article

In EBSCOhost the citation can be e-mailed to you along with the article. Just check the correct format.

Citation ExamplesCitation Examples

ReferenceVersalovic, J. (2006, October). Emerging technologies for emerging infections. MLO: Medical Laboratory Observer, 38(10), 14. Retrieved April 25, 2009, from CINAHL database.

In-text(Versalovic, 2006)

• Article Retrieved from CINAHL Database

Internet DocumentReferenceCenters for Disease Control, Division of Oral Health. (2009). Disparities in oral health. Retrieved April 16, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/racial_ethnic_disparities.htm.

In-text(Centers for Disease Control, Division of Oral Health, 2009)

Purdue University offers a great resource for the APA style format.

Use RefWorksUse RefWorks

RefWorks is an online research management, writing and collaboration tool designed to help researchers easily gather, manage, store and share all types of information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies.

Research TipsResearch Tips

• Work from general to specific. Always seek to refine your research to a specific concept.

• Document everything! Record “what” and from “where” the information comes.

• Keep your research in electronic format for easy tracking and retrieval.

• Think like the database! Use subject headings to translate your research topic into the language of the databases that you use.

Be Organized!

Be Purposeful!

Be Relentless!

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