What steps do you take to locate primary and peer-reviewed research articles when performing a literature search?

What steps do you take to locate primary and peer-reviewed research articles when performing a literature search?
What resources are available to you to engage in a meaningful and successful literature search?
As you have explored throughout this course, Walden University provides vast resources for student support to ensure success in their academic program of study. When it comes to research and using Library resources, several support mechanisms are available to you as well.
Taking the first step to think about a research topic or area of interest and filtering that topic using a series of keywords and operations will be a fundamental component for performing a literature search in Walden Library’s databases. While the ultimate goal is to produce a set or results that match your search criteria, you must keep in mind that that the quality of the research articles obtained will likely vary. Thus, you must critically examine and analyze the aims of the research produced and how it aligns, confirms, or negates your topic or area of research. As you develop proficiency in this area, you will discover that you can extract content themes and frameworks to enhance future research and the need to identify additional research support.
For this Assignment, consult the Walden Library webinars and resources provided. These resources serve as a general good first step for performing literature searches and engaging with the databases of research available to you. Think about a research topic or area of interest to focus on for this Assignment. Then, search the Walden Library to locate and retrieve peer-reviewed research articles that pertain to your topic or area of interest.
6-paragraph assignment in which you do the following:
a 1-pararaph introduction of how you conducted your literature search and the databases consulted in your search in relation to your practice area or area of interest. Be specific and provide examples.
a 1-paragraph summary of each of the articles you have selected (a total of 3 paragraphs).
1 paragraph that synthesizes the three articles using a scholarly voice.
a final paragraph in which you discuss the differences between summarizing and synthesizing research. Be specific and provide examples.
Shea, C. M., Jacobs, S. R., Esserman, D. A., Bruce, K., & Weiner, B. J. (2014). Organizational readiness for implementing change: A psychometric assessment of a new measureLinks to an external site.. Implementation Science, 9(7), 1–15.
Walden University. (2021). DNP capstone resources NURS 8702 and NURS 8703Links to an external site.. Office of Research and Doctoral Studies. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/research-center/program-documents/dnp-8702-8703
Walden University. (n.d.). Subject research: Nursing.Links to an external site. Walden Library. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/subject/nursing
Walden University. (n.d.). Using evidence: Synthesis.Links to an external site. Writing Center. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/evidence/synthesis
Westlake, C. (2012). Practical tips for literature synthesis. Clinical Nurse Specialist,Links to an external site. 26(5), 244–249. https://doi.org/10.1097/NUR.0b013e318263d766
ANSWER
To locate primary and peer-reviewed research articles when performing a literature search, I take the following steps:
1. **Identify my research topic or area of interest.** What do I want to learn more about?
2. **Develop keywords and search terms.** What are the key concepts related to my research topic?
3. **Select appropriate databases.** Walden University provides access to a variety of databases, including CINAHL, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library. I select the databases that are most relevant to my research topic and area of interest.
4. **Construct my search string.** I combine my keywords and search terms using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to create a search string that will produce the most relevant results.
5. **Execute my search.** I enter my search string into the database and review the results.
6. **Evaluate the results.** I review the titles and abstracts of the results to determine which articles are most relevant to my research topic and area of interest. I also consider the following factors when evaluating the results:
* **Publication type:** Is the article a primary source (e.g., research study, case report) or a secondary source (e.g., review article, editorial)?
* **Source:** Is the article published in a peer-reviewed journal?
* **Date of publication:** Is the article current?
* **Author(s):** Are the authors experts in the field?
7. **Retrieve the full text of relevant articles.** Once I have identified the relevant articles, I retrieve the full text and read them carefully.
I use the following Walden University resources to engage in a meaningful and successful literature search:
* **Walden Library webinars and resources:** Walden University offers a variety of webinars and resources on how to conduct literature searches. These resources are a great way to learn about the different databases available to you and how to use them effectively.
* **Walden Writing Center:** The Walden Writing Center provides guidance on how to summarize and synthesize research. This guidance is helpful for developing the different sections of the assignment.
**Example**
To demonstrate how I would perform a literature search using the steps and resources described above, consider the following example:
**Research topic:** The impact of telehealth on patient outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure.
**Keywords:** telehealth, chronic heart failure, patient outcomes
**Selected databases:** CINAHL, PubMed
**Search string:** (“telehealth” OR “telemedicine”) AND “chronic heart failure” AND “patient outcomes”
**Results:** 100 results
**Evaluated results:** I reviewed the titles and abstracts of the results and identified 10 articles that were relevant to my research topic and area of interest. I also considered the publication type, source, date of publication, and authors of each article.
**Retrieved full text of relevant articles:** I retrieved the full text of the 10 relevant articles and read them carefully.
**Conclusion**
Performing a literature search is an important step in the research process. By following the steps and using the resources described above, you can effectively locate primary and peer-reviewed research articles to support your research.
**Differences between summarizing and synthesizing research**
Summarizing research involves identifying the main points of a research article and presenting them in a concise and accurate manner. Synthesizing research involves combining the main points of multiple research articles to create a new understanding or perspective.
When summarizing research, it is important to be faithful to the original work. This means accurately reporting the findings of the study and avoiding any personal opinions or interpretations.
When synthesizing research, it is important to go beyond simply summarizing the main points of each article. Instead, you should look for patterns and connections across the articles. You should also consider how the findings of each article contribute to your overall understanding of the research topic.
Here is an example of a summary and synthesis of a research article:
**Summary:**
In a study by Shea et al. (2014), the authors developed and psychometrically evaluated a new measure of organizational readiness for implementing change (ORIC). The ORIC measure is a 12-item self-report questionnaire that assesses two dimensions of organizational readiness: change efficacy and change commitment. The results of the study showed that the ORIC measure is a reliable and valid measure of organizational readiness for implementing change.
**Synthesis:**
The ORIC measure is a valuable tool for assessing organizational readiness for implementing change. It can be used to identify areas where an organization needs to improve its readiness for change. The ORIC measure can also be used to track an organization’s progress over time as it implements change.
As you can see, the summary provides a concise and accurate overview of the main points of the research article. The synthesis goes beyond simply summarizing the main points of the article by discussing the implications of the findings and how the