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RN-2-BSN Online Library Support Guide: Research Resources

This Library Guide is designed to provide resources pertaining to Mount Carmel's RN-BSN Program.

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Types of Sources

Overview

Reference sources, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, provide general overviews of a topic and answer quick facts. They may also suggest sources for further reading.

Reference material can be designed for general audiences or for specialists on a subject.

Good for

  • background information
  • definitions
  • quick facts
  • discovering source lists, especially in reference sources for scholars

Examples

APA Manual, Davis Drug Guide, and Wikipedia*

*Please note: Wikipedia has been proven to not be a reliable reference for healthcare-related topics. Do not rely on Wikipedia for factual healthcare information! Always check multiple sources.

Overview

Books provide in-depth coverage of a topic and are able to provide a big-picture view. They may be targeted at general audiences or experts. Since the book publication process takes time, information is not the most up to date, especially for fast-changing fields, like the health sciences.

Good for

  • broad overview of a topic and the research on it
  • new research in some subjects
  • historical information

Examples

World Religions for Healthcare Professionals, Public Health Nursing, and Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge.

Overview

Scholarly journal articles are written by experts to further the research of their academic field. They consist primarily of new research, though they can include literature reviews, editorials, some news, and reviews of books and products that scholars might use. Since the target audience for scholarly articles is academics (including undergraduates, in many cases), they are often narrow in focus and presume the reader is already familiar with the topic. Most scholarly journals practice peer review, where an article is not published until it has been approved by multiple experts on that topic.

Good for

  • finding new research
  • in-depth, specialist information
  • detailed overviews of the research on a topic; literature review

Examples

American Journal of Nursing, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Journal of Nursing Research, and Nursing Sciences Quarterly.

Overview

Professional, or trade, journals are similar to news sources or magazines, but are focused on a specific industry, business, or profession. Unlike scholarly journals, they are targeted to practitioners rather than researchers and are usually not peer reviewed. For example, a professional education journal would be aimed towards teachers and school administrators, rather than education researchers. 

Good for

  • news relevant to a career or industry
  • overviews of how new research in a field can be put to use
  • best practices and instructional information
  • opinion

Examples

Nursing Times, Canadian Nurse, and The Chronicle of Higher Education

Overview

Magazines are usually a mix of short news, investigative news articles, longer articles that provide analysis or context, and/or opinion pieces. Some magazines are very broad in coverage, while others focus on specific topics or interests. Magazines are not peer reviewed or considered scholarly. Many blogs replicate the mix of content that characterizes magazines.

Good for

  • in-depth analysis of current events 
  • detailed investigative reports
  • overviews targeted at non-specialists
  • opinion

Examples

Time, Scientific Mind, Psychology Today, National Geographic, Mental Floss, and Entertainment Weekly

Overview

News sources cover current events. They tend to be more focused on the details rather than the big picture, though they will provide some overview information. Some news sources feature detailed investigative reporting. They can be delivered in a wide variety of formats, such as in print, online, television, and radio programs.

Good for 

  • current events 
  • some limited background
  • opinion
  • local information

Examples

Wall Street Journal, New York Times, NPR, Christian Sciences Monitor and Catholic Health News.

EBP

If you learn better through reading, here are two articles that describe the research process concisely and effectively. Both are available through our library subscriptions:

This five-part article series makes nursing research easy to understand and apply in the clinical setting:

Search Process

Step 1:

To search for the most relevant results, break down your questions/search topics into concepts. This can be the hardest part of searching but taking the time to break a topic into searchable concepts will ultimately save you time finding relevant and quality resources not just during the RN-BSN program but also in clinical practice.

Watch the interactive video below for a quick overview of formulating a search strategy and practice identifying concepts in search topics.

 

Step 2: 

PICO(T) is the evidence-based format for transforming clinical questions into searchable concepts. PICO(T) questions will not only make sure your questions are answerable and find applicable evidence in searches but will ultimately save you time during your searching.

  • P- Patient, Population, Problem

    • What patient population are you trying to address?

  • I- Intervention, Issue

    • What will you do for the patient or problem?

  • C- Comparison with another intervention or issue

    • Alternative (or placebo) to your intervention

  • O- Outcome of interest

    • What will be improved for patient or problem

  • T- Time (optional)

    • What time frame is appropriate for your question?

Interactive PICO(T) Practice: Become comfortable creating PICO(T) questions using real-life nursing situations. Click on "See Librarian's suggested answer" in each sample situation.

 

 

* If you need help with your search, don't hesitate to contact your librarian.*

Step 3:

Become familiar with General Types of Resources:

  • Reference: 
    • ​General overviews of topics and answer quick facts.
    • Examples include APA Manual, Davis' Drug Guide, UptoDate. 
  • Books:
    • ​More in-depth coverage of a topic and can be for topic overviews or in-depth information.
    • Because books take time to publish, information may not always be the most updated.
    • Examples include textbooks and nursing books.
  • Periodicals​ (Watch 3 min tutorial to see differences between Scholarly and Popular Periodicals)
    • Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed Journals: 
      • Publishes articles that are written by experts in academic field.
      • Articles can be research, literature reviews, editorials, news, and book reviews.​
      • Many are peer-reviewed, which means article is not published until approved by multiple experts on topic.
      • Examples: American Journal of Nursing, New England Journal of Medicine.
    • Magazines/Popular
      • ​A variety of short news, investigative news, longer articles with analysis, and/or opinion pieces.
      • Can be very specialized topic or can be broad in coverage.
      • Not peer-reviews or scholarly.
      • Examples: Time, National Geographic, Psychology Today.
  • News
    • ​Current events focusing on specific details with some overviews and investigative reporting.
    • Examples: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Google News.

 

Become familiar with Evidence-Based Resources:

Check out the Interprofessional Tutorial for information about Evidence-Based Practice resources.

Common Questions: 

  • How do I know if something is a Research Article?
    • Use IMRaD to determine if an article is a research article. 
      • I = Introduction
      • M = Methodology
      • R = Results
      • D = Discussion
  • How do I search for a Research Article?
    • Search for publication types in the pyramid above, such as Systematic Reviews, Randomized Controlled Trials, Cohort Studies, and Case-Controlled Studies.
    • For Original Research Articles, only search for the Unfiltered Information publication types.

Step 4:

Based on PICOT question and types of resources, plan where to search. To do this, become familiar with resources available:

Journal articles are found in Databases (See tutorial "What are Databases and Why You Need Them")

Systematic Reviews are found in Databases:

Guidelines are available through government sites and databases:

*Select both "guidelines" and "practice guidelines" when searching in PubMed and CINAHL.*

Evidence-Based Topic Overviews: 

Step 5:

Understand how to search the databases and how to use advanced features to pull the best evidence:

  • Boolean Operators:

  • Filters:

​Filters are found in most databases (usually under Advanced Search or in left-hand column of Search Results page) and are useful to narrow down results that are more relevant to search topic. Watch the Tutorials below for using filters in key databases:

Step 6: 

Questions you should ask yourself when evaluating all resources:

  • Timeliness – the “newness” of the information
    • When was the information published or posted?
    • Have there been new versions or editions since this was published?
    • How quickly does new research for this topic come out?
    • Does new research expand upon or replace old information for this topic? 
  • Relevance – the depth and importance of the information for you
    • Does this source help answer your question? Does only part of it help?
    • Is it covering all aspects of your topic or only parts?
    • How detailed is the information? Is it too basic for your needs? Too advanced?
  • Authority – the source of the information
    • Who is the author? What can you find about them in the source itself or through a web search?

    • Is the author a professor or other expert? Does she have a degree related to the topic? Has she written on the topic previously?

    • Is the author drawing from her own personal experience?
    • Has the information been reviewed in some way, such as by an editor or through peer review? Was it self-published or posted on a personal site?
  • Accuracy – the reliability and correctness of the information
    • Where does the information come from?
    • Does the author cite other sources? What does she cite?
    • For websites, did the author provide links to other sources? Do the links still work?
    • For studies, experiments, and other original research, does the author explain the method she used to find her results?
    • Does the information in this resource agree with other resources you have found and your own personal knowledge?
  • Purpose – the reason the information was created 
    • Why did the author publish this source? Is she looking to inform, teach, advocate, sell, or entertain?
    • Who is the intended audience? Is this designed for general readers or academic readers?
    • What political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, personal or other perspectives does the author have?
    • What perspectives are not included within this resource, especially less privileged perspectives? 

 

Specific questions to ask when evaluating Website Resources:

 

Specific Evaluation Considerations for High-Level Evidence-Based Resources:

  • The PRISMA Statement: Reporting Standards for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.
  • AGREE II: How to appraise Guidelines for research and evaluation.