Nursing 27500  

Below are selected nursing databases to search in completing your assignment.  Click on the database name to be directed to the database. 

Use the CINAHL Headings tab at the top of the search screen for guidance on search terms. 

Type in "Alternative Therapies" for a list of subject terms that can be used in your search for articles.

This guide will provide information for students enrolled in Nursing 27500 on how to access and use library resources to locate research articles on alternative therapies.  Click on the tabs at the top of the page for information. 

A review of the abstract and text of an article will provide important information of assistance in identifying it as a research article. 

Look for the following headings:

Aim

Methods

Design

Participants

Sample

Data Collection

Data Analysis

Results

It is important to be able to distinguish whether the author is reporting on the findings of his or her study (original research). 

If the author of the article is only conducting a literature review of other studies, or the article is a systematic review or meta-analysis, this is not an original research article.

There are some databases which allow you to limit your results to research articles.  Even when limiting your results to research articles, it is important to read the content of the article to make sure it qualifies as an original research article. 

For example, in CINAHL, you can select the "Publication Type" limiter to designate "Research," which will retrieve any type of research article.  (Systematic Reviews are included in the "Research" publication type, so it is important to review the abstract to determine if it is a systematic review, which will not qualify as an original research article).

If you would like a specific type of research article, you can select "Clinical Trial" or "Randomized Controlled Trial."