An online library may be daunting and confusing. There are many databases, journals may appear in multiple databases, and sometimes search terms don’t generate expected results—and then the articles may be a challenging read at first. Searching academic libraries is a skill, and like many skills, it may take practice.
To help you complete the journal article search for this Assignment, you will need the Searching the Literature Worksheet document, found in the Learning Resources. This tool is designed to help you plan your search strategy.
To begin using the worksheet, start filling in the appropriate boxes. Next, take your research question and add it in the first row across all columns. Create at least five synonyms for each column under your research questions terms. Take the different synonyms and create different combinations of search terms. For example, if you are searching violence prevention programs, you might create different searches that look like this:
The first search may look like this: violence prevention AND youth AND boy’s girl’s AND violent behaviors.
Another search may look like this: prevention programs AND partner violence AND violent attitudes and behaviors.
These different searches will yield diverse results. In this Assignment, you try different combinations of synonyms to help you find the best evidence.
To prepare: Follow the instructions for, and complete, the Searching the Literature Worksheet document, found in the Learning Resources.
By Day 7
Find five (5) journal articles that will best answer your research question. Among the five articles, try to find:
A systematic review
A meta-analysis
One to two (1–2) experimental designs
Quasi-experimental
Randomized control trial
A qualitative study
Submit your completed Searching the Literature Worksheet document.
