Library Research Practice
Week 1 This module’s Doctoral Degree Coach™ tasks and the Learning Resources introduced important skills, such as evaluating resources you find online, using database search skills to find the resources you need in the library, evaluating the reliability and credibility of authors and their work, using citation management software, analyzing existing research on a topic, and identifying gaps in the research, just to name a few. Now it’s time to put this knowledge to work. For this Assignment, you will practice your library skills while searching for existing research related to your own potential area of interest. You will begin familiarizing yourself with what has already been studied and what gaps might exist in the research. This work will help you continue to narrow down possible topic ideas for your own research. To prepare for this Assignment, complete the following: • Review the guidance in the Doctoral Degree Coach™ and the Learning Resources in relation to searching the literature in your discipline to narrow a potential research topic. • Browse the Dissertation and Theses @ Walden database for published capstone studies/dissertations in your discipline to familiarize yourself with the topics already covered, and the types of problems/issues researched. •
Download the Approved Elements for Each Section of the DSW and PhD Social Work Prospectus Form (PDF). • Using Walden’s library databases, identify a minimum of 4 databases with 2 being social work specific and 2 from other disciplines such as psychology, nursing, education, etc. Use databases found here: Databases A-Z The literature you use should be directly relevant to your study and should be within the last 5 years. • Identify the Databases you searched by name. • Identify a minimum of 5 search terms you used to locate articles related to your potential capstone/dissertation topic. Use search terms that are potential areas of interest for your own research. • Choose three journal articles. • Provide the full APA 7 reference entry for each of the three journal articles. For each article, describe what was studied (no more than 2 sentence), state the findings of the study (no more than 2 sentences), and discuss how the article is beneficial to your understanding about your topic (1 sentence). Write a brief response that addresses the following: • Identify the Databases you searched by name. • Identify a minimum of 5 search terms you used to locate articles related to your potential capstone/dissertation topic. Use search terms that are potential areas of interest for your own research. • Provide the full APA 7 reference entry for each of the three chosen journal articles. • For each article, describe what was studied (no more than 2 sentence), state the findings of the study (no more than 2 sentences), and discuss how the article is beneficial to your understanding about your topic (1 sentence).
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Identify the Databases you searched by name.,
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Identify a minimum of 5 search terms you used to locate articles related to your potential capstone/dissertation topic.,
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Provide the full APA 7 reference entry for each of the three chosen journal articles.,
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For each article describe what was studied (no more than 2 sentence).,
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State the findings of the study (no more than 2 sentences) and discuss how the article is beneficial to your understanding about your topic (1 sentence).