Y học - Chapter 3: Searching the Literature

Chapter 3Searching the LiteratureReading the LiteratureYou will need to understand what has already been written about a topic before you can ask a new question or develop a new way of answering an old questionKnowledge of the Literature“Knowledge of the literature in the field and critical insight into the research in the student’s major field of interest is considered evidence of high scholarship.” (Bookwalter & Bookwalter, 1959)Importance of Literature ReviewOnce the basic question has been identified, you need to consult the literature to assist in fully defining the problemConceptual literatureRelated researchServes as the basis for hypothesis developmentSynthesis of material provides content for the review of related literature and background informationPurposes of the ReviewPurposes of the review help the researcher to:Gain an understanding of previous research workDevelop a theoretical understanding of the topicDistill the question into a specific problemDevelop a research plan (methods)Research approach and designProcedures and instrumentation Identify a questionSuggestions for Reviewing the LiteratureRead textbooks and other secondary sourcesLook at the most current literature firstIdentify the key wordsCheck appropriate indexesRead primary sourcesComputer retrieval systemsSport DISCUSMedlineSearch the InternetResearch ReadingWorking bibliographyTaking notesNote cardsComputerized system (e.g., EndNote)Evaluating sourcesReview abstract of published articleScan article for potential valueSources of LiteratureIndexesReviewsPeriodicalsProfessional journalsMagazinesComputer retrieval systemsMedlineSport DISCUSERICInternetSearching the InternetSubject directoriesYahooLookSmartSearch engineGoogleLycosNorthern LightMetasearch engineCopernicMetacrawlerEvaluating Web InformationWhat is the source of the information?Check the URL addressWho is the author?Is the information current?Are references provided?Are links to other websites provided?