Assignment: Locating and Critically Analyzing Primary Research

Articles

 

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. 

To prepare:

 Review the Walden Library webinars presented in the media Learning Resources for this

week.

 Then, search the Walden Library and locate three peer-reviewed primary research

articles that pertain to your practice area and are of particular interest to you.

The Assignment: (6 paragraphs)

Write a 6-paragraph APA-formatted paper in which you do the following:

 Write 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.

 Write a 1-paragraph summary of each of the articles you have selected (a total of 3

paragraphs).

 Write 1 paragraph that synthesizes the three articles using a scholarly voice.

 Write a final paragraph in which you discuss the differences between summarizing and

synthesizing research. Be specific and provide examples.

 

Resources

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/subject/nursing

 

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/webinararchives/nursing

 

Area of Practice: Advanced practice nurse practitioner (APRN) in a skilled nursing facility

(SNF)