The document provides instructions for students to practice searching the literature on a topic related to their PICOT question. Students are asked to choose a search term, search databases at different levels of evidence, and record the number of search results. They should then select and compare one article from each level of evidence to analyze the quality and value of information found. Finally, students will post a summary of their search process and results, including a tip for effective literature searching.

1. Literature Searches
An important step in the EBP process is reviewing the current
body of literature to better understand the subject or topic in
which you are interested. By conducting a review of the
literature, you are building foundational knowledge about the
topic; later, you can use this background to build new insights.
Developing a strong grasp of a topic can only be garnered by
taking the time to thoroughly search for relevant information
and resources.
For this Discussion, you will practice searching the literature to
find evidence on a specific topic.
To prepare:
Choose a simple search term(s) relating to a topic of your
PICOT question.
Review the information on the evidence hierarchy discussed in
Chapter 2 of the course text, in the article, “Facilitating Access
to Pre-Processed Research Evidence in Public Health,” and in
the multimedia presentation “Hierarchy of Evidence Pyramid,”
found in this week’s Learning Resources.
Review the information on the Walden Library’s website,
“Levels of evidence.” Take a few minutes to explore the
different types of databases available for each level of evidence
and focus on the meaning of filtered and non-filtered resources.
Conduct a literature search in the Walden Library on your
selected topic using the databases that you reviewed. Use at
least one database for each of the three levels of filtered
information and at least one unfiltered database. Record the
number of hits that you find at each level of the hierarchy of
evidence.
Select one article from the results at each level of the hierarchy.
Compare the articles based on the quality and depth of
information. What would be the value of each resource if you
were determining an evidence-based practice?
Post on or before Day 3:
(1)a summary of your search.

2. (2) Describe what topic you selected, the search term(s) that
you used, and the number of results found at each level of the
hierarchy.
(3) Compare the types of information found in the articles from
different levels and the value of the information from each
level.
(4) Highlight a useful tip that you could share with your
colleagues about conducting an effective literature search
.
REQUIRED RESOURCES
Readings
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2012).
Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for
nursing practice
(Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Philadelphia, PA:
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Chapter 2, “Evidence-Based Nursing: Translating Research
Evidence into Practice” (Review pages 27–34)
Chapter 5, “Literature Reviews: Finding and Critiquing
Evidence”
In this chapter, you focus on conducting a literature review.
Topics include how to identify the relevant literature on a given
topic and then how to critique the strengths and weaknesses of
the literature that you have found. Finally, the chapter examines
how to synthesize the research findings into a written literature
review.
Houde, S. C. (2009). The systematic review of literature: A tool
for evidence-based policy.
Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 35
(9), 9–12.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article emphasizes the importance of systematic reviews
of literature. The authors present an overview of resources that
may assist in conducting systematic reviews.
Krainovich-Miller, B., Haber, J., Yost, J., & Jacobs, S. K.
(2009). Evidence-based practice challenge: Teaching critical

3. appraisal of systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines
to graduate students.
Journal of Nursing Education, 48
(4), 186–195.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article reviews the features of the TREAD Evidence-Based
Practice Model. In particular, the authors of this article stress
how the model emphasizes the use of standardized critical
appraisal tools and Level I evidence.
Robeson, P., Dobbins, M., DeCorby, K., & Tirilis, D. (2010).
Facilitating access to pre-processed research evidence in public
health.
B
MC Public Health, 10
, 95.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article describes a hierarchy of pre-processed evidence
and how it is adapted to the public health setting. The authors
identify a range of resources with relevant public health
content.
Barker, J. (n.d.)
Basic search tips and advanced Boolean explained.
Retrieved August 3, 2012, from
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Boole
an.pdf
This resource provides a graphical representation of different
approaches to research and gives examples of each.
Davies, K. S. (2011). Formulating the evidence based practice
question: A review of the frameworks.
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 6
(2), 75–80. Retrieved from
https://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/EBLIP/article/vie
wFile/9741/8144
This article reviews the frameworks commonly used to assist in

4. generating answerable research questions. The author
recommends considering the individual elements of the
frameworks as interchangeable (depending upon the situation),
rather than trying to fit a situation to a specific framework.
Walden University Library. (2012).
Levels of evidence.
Retrieved from
http://libraryguides.waldenu.edu/evidencepyramid
This guide provides a listing of evidence-based clinical
resources, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses,
critically appraised topics, background information and expert
opinions, and unfiltered resources.
Indiana State University. (n.d.). Database search strategies.
Retrieved July 6, 2012, from
http://libguides.indstate.edu/content.php?pid=118904&sid=1065
428
In this resource, the most common types of database searches
are highlighted. It includes topics such as nesting searches,
phrase searches, and using synonyms of key words in the
search.
Library of Congress Online Catalog. (2008). Boolean searching
.
Retrieved from
http://catalog.loc.gov/help/boolean.htm
This web page provides a basic overview of Boolean searches
and provides simple examples of key search terms.
Walden University. (n.d.b.). Searching and retrieving materials
in the research databases. Retrieved August 10, 2012, from
http://libraryguides.waldenu.edu/content.php?pid=162865&sid=
1375878
This resource provides tips for searching in the Walden
Library. It includes a guide to keyword searches, an explanation
of Boolean searches, and tips on locating specific journals or

5. articles.
Document:
Course Project Overview (Word document)
Note:
You will use this document to complete the Project throughout
this course.
Media
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012e).
Finding resources for EBP.
Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note:
The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.
In this video, Dr. Marianne Chulay identifies sources where
nurses can find evidence to support their practices. She provides
several examples of resources that provide specific information
about best practices in health care.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012f).
Finding sources of evidence.
Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note:
The approximate length of this media piece is 9 minutes.
Dr. Kristen Mauk explains the process of performing a
literature review in this video. She provides advice for nursing
students in browsing databases and analyzing sources of
evidence.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012g).
Hierarchy of evidence pyramid
. Baltimore, MD: Author.
This multimedia piece explains the hierarchy of evidence
pyramid. The piece offers definitions and key information for
each level of the pyramid.