Week 2: Finding Sources of Evidence

In acquiring a background on a topic with the goal of developing an evidence-based practice, it is essential that you identify resources that are both accurate and scientific. How comfortable would you be defending a new practice if it was based on information from Wikipedia or something that you read in a random blog post that you found using Google? The time taken to ensure that you have located meaningful, credible information will provide confidence in initiating new practices. One characteristic of a credible and thorough research study is the care that is taken prior to the start of a project to determine what is currently known about a subject and to evaluate the quality of the information that is reviewed.

This week, you focus on finding meaningful, credible evidence on a particular research topic. You consider what types of sources have been previously vetted by experts in the field for the quality of the content. You also explore the different types of evidence that can be used, and you are introduced to search techniques for identifying evidence for EBP.

Discussion: 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?

Questions to be answered

1.Write 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.