INDIVIDUAL TOPIC SEARCH STRATEGY (ITSS) GUIDELINES

• The purpose of this initial paper is to briefly describe your search strategies when identifying two articles that pertain to an evidence-based practice topic of interest.

REQUIREMENTS/PREPARING THE PAPER

• Each student will sign-up for a group to formulate an evidence-based practice topic of interest
• Each group will formulate research question using PICO format.
• Each group member will search, retrieve, and receive approval for 1 PRIMARY DATA ARTICLE to answer the group Research Question.
• Paper should include a Title and Reference pages.
• Page Length: 3-4 pages Excluding Title and Reference pages
• The paper will include the following:

§ Clinical Question

• Describe problem
• Overview/Significance of problem in terms of outcomes or statistics
• Your PICOT question
• Purpose of your paper
• Search Strategy
• Search terms
• Databases used: Chamberlain Database
• Refinement decisions made
• Identification of most relevant article

• Type of question asked (intervention/therapy, prognosis, assessment, meaning, etc.)
• Type of study (QT, QL, mixed methods, descriptive)
• Level of evidence of study

• Correct grammar and spelling
• Use of headings for each section
• Use of APA format (7^th edition)

• Required to write the paper based on PAPER FORMAT
• Refers to Grading Rubric in page 3

Clinical Question

Research Question

Accurately and clearly states your research question using PICO format

Overview of the Problem

What statistics document this is a problem? (facts and figures)

Significance of the Problem

What health outcomes result from this problem. Why should people be concerned about this problem?

Purpose of Paper

Describe the purpose of topic search strategy (ITSS) paper

Search Strategy

Search Terms

• List all terms used to search for your article (i.e. breast cancer, screening, mammography, intervention, assessment, influencing factors….etc.)

Library Databases

• List Chamberlain library database used (i.e. EBSCO, CINAHL, Medline, OVID, PubMed. etc.)
• Google search engine is NOT the library database

Availability of Articles

• How many research articles were available to answer your research question?
• Provide numbers of articles, NOT just saying “plenty, sufficient, many…etc.

Refinement Decisions

• What decision(s) have changed from your original search strategies? (i.e. peer-review, within last 5 years, primary data article, full-text….etc.)
• What was your rationale for your decision to change from original search strategies?

Final Article

• Describe decisions you made to specifically select 1 PRIMARY DATA ARTICLE as relevant for answering your Research Question

• List all terms used to search for your article (i.e. breast cancer, screening, mammography, intervention, assessment, influencing factors….etc.)

Library Databases

• List Chamberlain library database used (i.e. EBSCO, CINAHL, Medline, OVID, PubMed......etc.)
• Google search engine is NOT the library database

Availability of Articles

• How many research articles were available to answer your research question?
• Provide numbers of articles, NOT just saying “plenty, sufficient, many…etc.

Refinement Decisions

• What decision(s) have changed from your original search strategies? (i.e. peer-review, within last 5 years, primary data article, full-text….etc.)
• What was your rationale for your decision to change from original search strategies?

Final Article

• Describe decisions you made to specifically select 1 PRIMARY DATA ARTICLE as relevant for answering your Research Question

Level of Evidence

Addresses Topic/Relevance to PICO

• Describe how article addresses the topic, purpose and key points

Evidence Level Pyramid

• Identify and describe the level of evidence based on Evidence Level/Hierarchy Pyramid
• Refers to Handout (Quick Guide to Designs in an Evidence Hierarchy)

Study Type

• Identify study type of article: Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed-Method Study