Literature Searches

Literature Searches

An important step in the EBP process is reviewing the current body of literature to better understand the subject or topic in which you are interested. By conducting a review of the literature, you are building foundational knowledge about the topic; later, you can use this background to build new insights. Developing a strong grasp of a topic can only be garnered by taking the time to thoroughly search for relevant information and resources.

For this Discussion, you will practice searching the literature to find evidence on a specific topic.

To prepare:

• Choose a simple search term(s) relating to a topic of your PICOT question.
• Review the information on the evidence hierarchy discussed in Chapter 2 of the course text, in the article, “Facilitating Access to Pre-Processed Research Evidence in Public Health,” and in the multimedia presentation “Hierarchy of Evidence Pyramid,” found in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Review the information on the Walden Library’s website, “Levels of evidence.” Take a few minutes to explore the different types of databases available for each level of evidence and focus on the meaning of filtered and non-filtered resources.
• Conduct a literature search in the Walden Library on your selected topic using the databases that you reviewed. Use at least one database for each of the three levels of filtered information and at least one unfiltered database. Record the number of hits that you find at each level of the hierarchy of evidence.
• Select one article from the results at each level of the hierarchy. Compare the articles based on the quality and depth of information. What would be the value of each resource if you were determining an evidence-based practice?

Post on or before Day 3: 

• (1)a summary of your search.
• (2) Describe what topic you selected, the search term(s) that you used, and the number of results found at each level of the hierarchy.
• (3) Compare the types of information found in the articles from different levels and the value of the information from each level.
• (4) Highlight a useful tip that you could share with your colleagues about conducting an effective literature search.

REQUIRED RESOURCES

Readings

• Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2012).  Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  • Chapter 2, “Evidence-Based Nursing: Translating Research Evidence into Practice” (Review pages 27–34)
  • Chapter 5, “Literature Reviews: Finding and Critiquing Evidence”

    In this chapter, you focus on conducting a literature review. Topics include how to identify the relevant literature on a given topic and then how to critique the strengths and weaknesses of the literature that you have found. Finally, the chapter examines how to synthesize the research findings into a written literature review.

• Houde, S. C. (2009). The systematic review of literature: A tool for evidence-based policy. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 35(9), 9–12.

  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  This article emphasizes the importance of systematic reviews of literature. The authors present an overview of resources that may assist in conducting systematic reviews.

• Krainovich-Miller, B., Haber, J., Yost, J., & Jacobs, S. K. (2009). Evidence-based practice challenge: Teaching critical appraisal of systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines to graduate students. Journal of Nursing Education, 48(4), 186–195.

  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  This article reviews the features of the TREAD Evidence-Based Practice Model. In particular, the authors of this article stress how the model emphasizes the use of standardized critical appraisal tools and Level I evidence.

• Robeson, P., Dobbins, M., DeCorby, K., & Tirilis, D. (2010). Facilitating access to pre-processed research evidence in public health. BMC Public Health, 10, 95.

  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  This article describes a hierarchy of pre-processed evidence and how it is adapted to the public health setting. The authors identify a range of resources with relevant public health content.

• Barker, J. (n.d.) Basic search tips and advanced Boolean explained. Retrieved August 3, 2012, from

  http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Boolean.pdf

  This resource provides a graphical representation of different approaches to research and gives examples of each.

• Davies, K. S. (2011). Formulating the evidence based practice question: A review of the frameworks. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 6(2), 75–80. Retrieved from https://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/EBLIP/article/viewFile/9741/8144

  This article reviews the frameworks commonly used to assist in generating answerable research questions. The author recommends considering the individual elements of the frameworks as interchangeable (depending upon the situation), rather than trying to fit a situation to a specific framework.

• Walden University Library. (2012). Levels of evidence. Retrieved from http://libraryguides.waldenu.edu/evidencepyramid

  This guide provides a listing of evidence-based clinical resources, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, critically appraised topics, background information and expert opinions, and unfiltered resources.

• Indiana State University. (n.d.). Database search strategies. Retrieved July 6, 2012, from

  http://libguides.indstate.edu/content.php?pid=118904&sid=1065428

  In this resource, the most common types of database searches are highlighted. It includes topics such as nesting searches, phrase searches, and using synonyms of key words in the search.

• Library of Congress Online Catalog. (2008). Boolean searching. Retrieved from

  http://catalog.loc.gov/help/boolean.htm

  This web page provides a basic overview of Boolean searches and provides simple examples of key search terms.

• Walden University. (n.d.b.). Searching and retrieving materials in the research databases. Retrieved August 10, 2012, from http://libraryguides.waldenu.edu/content.php?pid=162865&sid=1375878

  This resource provides tips for searching in the Walden Library. It includes a guide to keyword searches, an explanation of Boolean searches, and tips on locating specific journals or articles.

• Document: Course Project Overview (Word document)

Media

• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012e). Finding resources for EBP. Baltimore, MD: Author.

  Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.

  In this video, Dr. Marianne Chulay identifies sources where nurses can find evidence to support their practices. She provides several examples of resources that provide specific information about best practices in health care.

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