LIBRARY GUIDE TO HS 4250/PH 5250 - Research Methods

• Problem formulation - which topic or field is being examined and what are the component issues?
• Literature search - finding materials relevant to the subject explored
• Data evaluation - determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic
• Analysis and interpretations - discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature

Research and read lots of information to develop your understanding of the topic.

START by exploring Library OneSearch (includes books, ebooks, academic journals, newspapers)

*Try search terms like adhd, children, "drug treatment" and use facets on left to narrow by source type - choose " Limit to articles from scholarly publications, including peer-review"


For research databases try suggested databases from OneSearch or BROWSE SUBJECT LIST of DATABASES.

Possible choices:

• CINAHL Plus with Full-Text -comprehensive and highly-authoritative database for research in nursing and health sciences
• Cochrane Library - collection of databases that contain evidence for healthcare decision-making. Includes systematic review abstracts, technology assessments, economic evaluations and individual clinical trials.
• ERIC via ProQuest -resources in education including journal articles from research/scholarly and practitioner literature
• Natural Medicines - peer-reviewed, authoritative source for information on complementary and integrative therapies.  It is composed of 10 different databases:  Herbs, Supplements, & Functional Foods, Health & Wellness, Comparative Effectiveness, Charts & Tables, Medical Conditions, Sports Medicine, Genomics & Proteomics, Environment & Global Health, and Animal Health.
• PubMed - The National Library of Medicine's free interface for MEDLINE the premier database for biomedical journal citations
• PsycINFO - literature in psychology and related disciplines such as psychiatry, education, business, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, law, linguistics, and social work.
• Social Sciences Full Text
  Includes full-text articles from over 300 journals, covering concepts, theories and methods from both applied and theoretical aspects of the social sciences: 1983 - present. How to export to RefWorks
• Social Work Abstracts
  Indexes more than 450 social work and human services journals. Coverage: 1965 to present. How to export to RefWorks

• Provenance -- what are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence [e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings]?
• Methodology -- were the techniques used to identify, gather, and analyze the data appropriate to addressing the research problem? Was the sample size appropriate? Were the results effectively interpreted and reported?
• Objectivity -- is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?
• Persuasiveness -- which of the author's theses are most convincing or least convincing?
• Value -- are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?

Figure from: Greenhalgh, T. (1997). How to read a paper. Papers that summarise other papers (systematic reviews and meta-analyses). BMJ, 315, 672-675.

Government sites

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention - National Center for Health Statistics
• HealthData.gov -a federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• World Health Organization

Legal documents

• LegalTrac - major law reviews, legal newspapers, bar association journals and international legal journals
• LexisNexis Academic Universe - LEGAL - court decisions, legal codes, legal news, and law journals, both at the state level and federal level.
• Google Scholar - Legal documents limit

Evaluating literature chart (blank Windows doc)

Database tutorials:
CINAHL tutorials
PUBMED tutorials

Analyzing Sources & Literature Review tutorials:
Essential Elements of a Literature Review guide (UC Santa Cuz)
Conducting Literature Reviews - detailed guide (USC)
Critically Analyzing Information Sources (Cornell Libraries)

The OU community has free access to RefWorks, a citation management system that helps you generate a bibliography from your list of references automatically formatted in any common citation style.

Citation Style Guides:

APA Formating and Style Guide with examples (by Owl at Purdue)

• Sample APA paper
• APA style tutorial

The Writing Center at Oakland University will assist developing their ideas into polished final products. The Center's services are in high demand so be sure to plan ahead when scheduling an appointment.