Boolean Operators, including are words that make it easy for you to customize the results of your search by combining or excluding search terms.

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A citation manager (also known as a reference manager) is a software program for saving and organizing a list of materials (articles, books, etc.) that you may want to use in the future. Citation managers can also generate APA-formatted citations.

A concept map is a diagram visually representing the relationships among concepts. It is an alternative method to PICO for narrowing down your topic question. Concept mapping involves developing a concept map or mind map around your topic.

Example:

The mind map below was created using Popplet.

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Critical appraisal tools are resources to help you evaluate journal articles and other materials. They are often presented as checklists.

Databases are searchable collections of resources on a variety of subjects. The content found in databases can include journal articles, newspaper articles, encyclopedia articles, streaming media, and more.

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Database platforms are the interfaces used to access the content of a database. Vendors with their own database platform include Ovid, EBSCO, ProQuest, and Gale.

A direct quote, or quotation, is when you take someone else’s words and copy them word-for-word in your own work, inside quotation marks (“”). The rules for citing a direct quote in APA style are slightly different than the rules for citing a paraphrase, so be sure to refer to the module on citing in APA style for more details.

A discovery layer is a multidisciplinary search tool. Discovery layers are like search engines (think: Google) for library content. They search across most of the databases and resources in your library’s collection. Your institution likely offers a discovery layer search on the library’s website.

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Empirical research is based on observation or experience. Empirical research can be divided into two categories: qualitative and quantitative. The vast majority of research articles in the health sciences are based on empirical research.

In the context of these modules (and in the context of Evidence-Based Practice), evidence refers to the results of scientific research. Evidence can be ranked using the hierarchy of evidence.

Evidence-based (or evidence-informed) practice means using current best evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available clinical evidence from research.

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Filters (also known as limits or limiters) are options in discovery layers and databases that refine your search by removing search results that do not match specific criteria.

Full text is the complete content of an article or other resource. When you find an article through a search interface, you will typically first arrive at a record, and then click through to the full text. Full text is usually available in PDF or HTML format.

Grey literature is material published by organizations that are not primarily publishers. These materials can be made available by the government, academia, non-for-profit, business and trade organizations, in print and digital formats.

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Typically illustrated as a pyramid, the hierarchy of evidence is a way of ranking the “best evidence,” from weaker methods at the bottom to stronger methods such as meta-analysis and systematic reviews at the top.

An in-text citation is a short indication of someone else’s work. The in-text citation should appear in the body of the paper, right next to the information you are citing. Every in-text citation must have a corresponding complete reference at the end of the paper, which provides more details.

Interlibrary loan (ILL) is the process that allows library staff to request a copy of the full text of an article or other resource from another library. Many libraries allow students to request articles via ILL.

Keywords are words that hold the essence, or the key idea, of what you are trying to find. Using relevant keywords in your search will lead you to better information.

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Natural language is when you type a question in the same way you might ask it in a conversation. Natural language searching works fine when casually Googling something, but when searching databases, you should use keywords or more advanced techniques.

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Open access journals are online academic publications that are made available to readers without subscription fees, free of charge.

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If software is open source, users can see and use the source code. With open-source software, anyone can create and distribute a modified version of the program. Open-source software is typically available at no cost.

To paraphrase means to take someone else’s words or ideas and put them in your own words. The rules for citing a paraphrase in APA style are slightly different than the rules for citing a direct quote, so be sure to refer to the module on citing in APA style for more details.

Some journals (categorized as “peer-reviewed journals”) specifically publish articles that have been peer-reviewed. In order for an article to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, it has to go through a formal submission process which includes a peer review stage where experts (“peers”) ensure the accuracy, originality, significance, and other characteristics of the research before it is accepted for publication. These articles are highly regarded because the findings and results have been reviewed by experts in the field.

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PICO is a series of questions that help you create a strong topic. PICO stands for Patient/Population/Problem, Intervention/Exposure, Comparison, and Outcome

Example Source: "Resources for Evidence-Based Practice: Forming Questions - opens in a new window" by McMaster University - opens in a new window, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 - opens in a new window

Plagiarism means using someone else's words or ideas without giving them credit. It includes intentional plagiarism, where you deliberately present someone else's work as your own, and accidental plagiarism, where you unintentionally fail to cite your sources.

A plugin is a piece of software that can be added to a program to provide additional functionality.

Popular magazines publish articles that typically focus on information from pop culture. Articles are usually short, with a casual tone, and often have images embedded throughout.

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A PRISMA flow diagram is a specific format for documenting your search. It was designed for researchers performing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. PRISMA stands for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

If software is proprietary (also known as closed source), it means users cannot see the source code or modify the program. Proprietary software may be free or paid.

Qualitative research is a type of empirical research that uses methodologies such as biography, case study, historical analysis, and ethnography. Compared to quantitative research, qualitative methods focus less on things that can be measured using numbers and more on describing people’s behaviours and experiences.

Quantitative research is a type of empirical research that uses methodologies such as questionnaires, structured observations and experiments. Compared to qualitative research, quantitative methods focus less on describing people’s behaviours and experiences and more on things that can be measured using numbers.

A record in a database or other search interface contains information about an article, such as the names of the authors, the title of the journal, the abstract, and more. In order to use the article for an assignment, you will need to go from the record to the full text.

Every APA-style assignment or article must have a References list at the end, which contains the full reference for each in-text citation in the body of the paper.

Reflective writing involves thinking critically about your own experience and feelings. It is a component of reflective practice, which is an essential practice for nurses and other health care practitioners.

Related terms are words that generally mean the same thing as the main keywords.

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A research question is a topic that is put into the form of a specific, answerable question.

Example Source: "Resources for Evidence-Based Practice: Forming Questions - opens in a new window" by McMaster University - opens in a new window, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 - opens in a new window

Self-plagiarism is when you reuse work you've previously submitted for course assignments without citing your previous work. Your instructor will probably not accept work you've previously submitted, even if you cite yourself.

A scholarly journal is a publication, often published monthly or quarterly, that publishes academic research articles. Scholarly journals are often, but not always, peer reviewed.

Scholarly writing (also known as academic writing) involves analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating scholarly literature. This is the style of writing that scholarly articles are written in.

A scoping review is a broad review of the size and scope of the evidence on a specific research question. It is similar to a systematic review, but it aims to address broader, often exploratory research questions. Scoping reviews are often conducted to identify gaps in the literature.

A search engine is an interface for searching the web.

Many search interfaces you use (especially databases) keep track of the searches you’ve performed in your search history. Typically, this includes your search terms, filters, and the number of search results for all searches you’ve performed in your current search session.

A subject heading is a word or phrase that is assigned to an article or other resource and describes the topic of the resource. MeSH and CINAHL Subject Headings are two systems of subject headings.

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Synonyms are words that have the same, or similar meaning as the main keywords. Synonyms of keywords are interchangeable, which means that the meaning of your search will remain the same.

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A systematic review is a review of the evidence on a specific research question that uses a systematic methodology. This is similar to a literature review, but it goes more in-depth and aims to consider all the existing literature on a research question.

In the context of finding and using information, a topic is the subject, theme, or category of the information. The topic of an assignment is what the assignment is about.

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Trade magazines (also known as trade journals) publish articles aimed at people working in a particular field. The content focuses on information about working in the profession, trends, and news related to that field or trade, rather than academic research.

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To ‘truncate’ a word simply means to shorten it by removing one or more letters to go back to the root word. When you truncate a word, the search interface will retrieve all words that share the same root.

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A wildcard is a special character that replaces one or more letters in a word when searching in order to find variations of the word, such as alternate spellings.

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