NURS 702 Library Course Guide: Evidence-Based Practice

When reviewing any source, consider the following:

Authority: Who is the author? What is their point of view? Their background?

Purpose: Why was this resource created? Who is the intended audience?

Publication & Format: Where was it published? In what format? Has it been peer-reviewed?

Relevance: Is it relevant to your research or interests? Is it within the scope of what you're looking for?

Date of Publication: When was it published? Has it been updated? Is it the most current version?

Documentation: Are sources cited? Is there evidence to back up content?

Evidence Based Practice: Step-by-Step

The following links lead to a series of articles on evidence-based practice for nurses. The articles are the result of a collaboration by the "American Journal of Nursing" and the Arizona State University College of Nursing and Health Innovation's Center for the Advancement of Evidence-Based Practice.

Discusses common nursing databases, the definition of "research literature", the importance of using vetted research databases like CINAHL and PubMed instead of unvetted resources like Google, and predatory journals.

Discusses the levels of evidence in research literature, primary versus secondary sources, systematic review versus literature reviews, and quantitative versus qualitative literature.