G3

• Computer Applications that support Nursing Research

  Computer programs, new technologies, and the Internet can be used both to facilitate research design planning and data collection, as well as provide the context for a research study
• Word processing, spreadsheet and database programs

  Can be applied to plan the study
• Literature Searches


  An organized, methodical approach to finding a large number of high-quality references on a certain topic by looking through data that has already been published
• Steps for literature search

  1. Plan using PICO(T) to develop your clinical question and formulate a search strategy

  2. Identify a database to search

  3. Conduct your search in one or more databases

  4. Select relevant articles

  5. Organize your results
• Why Search Literature


  • Develop a fundamental understanding of a topic of interest
  • Support the thesis/argument of an academic paper or presentation
  • Justify the need for further research in a given subject area
  • Summarize/synthesize existing evidence related to a given research question
  • Make evidence-informed decisions in a clinical setting
• Search Engines


  A software tool that allows users to search for information on the web
• What is searched by search engines


  Websites, documents, images, videos, and other types of content based on user-entered keywords or search queries
• Reliable Search Engines


  • Google
  • Google Scholar
  • Microsoft Bing
  • Microsoft Academic Search
  • BASE
  • DuckDuckGo
• Google


  The most popular search engine globally, with over 85% market share. Google excels at understanding search queries and returning relevant results from its massive index of web pages. It offers a variety of features beyond search, including email, maps, and document creation tools.
• Google Scholar


  Freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text or meta data of scholarly literature
• Microsoft Bing


  A strong competitor to Google, Bing offers similar search functionality with a focus on visual search and rewards programs.
• Microsoft Academic Search


  Microsoft Academic Search is a search engine specifically designed for academic publications. It lets you search for scholarly articles, proceedings, and even books across a variety of disciplines.
• BASE


  BASE functions like a giant search tool for scholarly web resources. It crawls and indexes content from thousands of academic sources like university repositories, open access journals, and digital libraries.
• DuckDuckGo


  Prioritizes user privacy by not tracking searches or collecting personal information. It aggregates results from various search engines and emphasizes unbiased results.
• DuckDuckGo "Bangs"


  DuckDuckGo offers a unique feature called "bangs" that allows you to search directly within specific academic databases. For example, the bang "!scholar [your search term]" would search your term on Google Scholar through DuckDuckGo.
• Database


  An organized collection of structured information or data, typically stored electronically in a computer system.
• Reliable Databases


  • Scopus by Elsevier
  • Web of Science by Clarivate
  • PubMed by National Institutes of Health
  • IEEE Xplore by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
  • JSTOR
  • ScienceDirect by Elsevier
  • SciELO
  • ERIC
  • CORE
  • Medscape
  • Virginia Henderson Global nursing e-repository
  • Mendeley
  • Springer
  • SAGE
  • CINAHL
• Scopus


  A massive database of peer-reviewed literature with strong coverage across sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Subscription-based, typically accessed through university libraries or paid individual subscriptions.
• Web of Science


  Another large database of scholarly literature with a focus on science and social science citations. Subscription-based, typically accessed through university libraries or paid individual subscriptions.
• PubMed


  Search for journal articles, books, and other resources relevant to health and medicine. Free to access and search, but does not include full text journals (provides links to it when available).
• IEEE Xplore


  Leading database for technical literature in electrical engineering, computer science, and related fields. Subscription-based, typically accessed through university libraries or paid individual subscriptions.
• JSTOR


  Search for scholarly articles, ebooks, and historical documents. It also encompasses current issues of journals in the humanities and social sciences. A mix of free and paid content. Free access to some articles and limited searches. Full access typically requires a subscription (often available through university libraries).
• ScienceDirect


  Over 18 million pieces of content which covers a wide range of subjects including physical sciences, life sciences, health sciences, and social sciences. Mostly requires a subscription for full text access.
• SciELO


  Provides open access to scientific journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain. Its purpose is to increase the visibility and accessibility of research from these regions, tackling the issue of "lost science". The vast majority of content on SciELO is free to access and read.
• ERIC


  ERIC, funded by the US Department of Education, is a free, online education database. Its purpose is to be a one-stop shop for educators and researchers, providing access to millions of education-related resources. You can search for journal articles, curriculum guides, reports, and more on a vast range of educational topics.
• CORE


  An open-access repository for scholarly publications in all disciplines. Free of charge.
• Medscape


  A hybrid information resource for medical professionals. It combines aspects of a database and search engine. It stores some medical content like drug references and guidelines, but also functions as a search engine to find other medical resources online. Subscription free.
• Virginia Henderson Global nursing e-repository

  An open-access online database specifically for nursing scholarship. It aims to freely share and preserve nursing research, evidence-based practices, and other scholarly works. Nurses of all levels can submit their work (articles, projects, presentations) through a review process.
• Mendeley


  A reference management software program with a social networking component, specifically designed for researchers. It functions as a personal library, allowing researchers to import, organize, and annotate their research papers in PDF format.
• Springer


  They produce scholarly books, journals, and ebooks across a vast range of disciplines in science, technology, medicine, humanities, and social sciences. Some Springer content might be available through open access or library subscriptions, but a significant portion requires purchase or a paid subscription to access the full text.
• SAGE


  Their focus is on scholarly journals, ebooks, and digital resources in the social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields. SAGE content is known for its quality and depth. Their focus is on scholarly journals, ebooks, and digital resources in the social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields. SAGE content is known for its quality and depth.
• CINAHL


  CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) is a bibliographic database focused on nursing and allied health. It indexes millions of articles from journals, books, theses, and other resources. Access typically requires a subscription or institutional affiliation (like a university library).
• ResearchGate


  It allows researchers to share their work (publications, data), connect with colleagues, and discover new research. While it doesn't curate content itself, researchers can upload their publications (often pre-prints or published articles). Access of some requires a subscription or institutional affiliation (like a university library).
• Data Collection


  The process of collecting and evaluating information or data from multiple sources to find answers to research problems, answer questions, evaluate outcomes, and forecast trends and probabilities.
• Steps before data collection

  1. What's the goal or purpose of this research?

  2. What kinds of data are they planning on gathering?

  3. What methods and procedures will be used to collect, store, and process the information?
• Qualitative data


  Covers descriptions such as color, size, quality, and appearance
• Quantitative data


  Deals with numbers, such as statistics, poll numbers, percentages, etc.
• Primary Data Collection Methods

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Interviews
  • Observations
  • Experiments
  • Focus Groups
• Secondary Data Collection Methods

  • Published Sources
  • Online Databases
  • Government and Institutional Records
  • Publicly Available Data
  • Past Research Studies
• Key Steps in the Data Collection Process

  1. Decide what data you want to gather

  2. Establish a deadline for data collection

  3. Select a data collection approach

  4. Gather information

  5. Examine the information and apply your finding