NUR 2868 Steps to developing a Literature Search Essay
NUR 2868 Steps to developing a Literature Search Essay
*Determine your topic/area of interest
*The key to a good search is the use of Key Words. Key words are those words/terms databases use to sort and categorize resources
*Compile a list of at least 5 Key Words; include them at the top of your document
*Use appropriate databases (CINAHL is one of the best for nursing research); search e-books; use reputable online sources ONLY
*Search current references using your key words/terms—you need to have at least 5 references, no more than 5 years old, and at least 3 of them need to be peer-reviewed journal articles
*References should appear in APA format
*Submit a summary of what each reference will contribute to your project.
When seeking information for a literature review or for any purpose, it helps to understand information-seeking as a process that you can follow.5 Each of the six (6) steps has its own section in this web page with more detail. Do (and re-do) the following six steps:
1. Define your topic. The first step is defining your task — choosing a topic and noting the questions you have about the topic. This will provide a focus that guides your strategy in step II and will provide potential words to use in searches in step III.
2. Develop a strategy. Strategy involves figuring out where the information might be and identifying the best tools for finding those types of sources. The strategy section identifies specific types of research databases to use for specific purposes.
3. Locate the information. In this step, you implement the strategy developed in II in order to actually locate specific articles, books, technical reports, etc.
4. Use and Evaluate the information. Having located relevant and useful material, in step IV you read and analyze the items to determine whether they have value for your project and credibility as sources.
5. Synthesize. In step V, you will make sense of what you’ve learned and demonstrate your knowledge. You will thoroughly understand, organize and integrate the information –become knowledgeable– so that you are able to use your own words to support and explain your research project and its relationship to existing research by others.
6. Evaluate your work. At every step along the way, you should evaluate your work. However, this final step is a last check to make sure your work is complete and of high quality.