Evidence to Inform Thoughts and Scholarly Writing

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Where can you find evidence to inform your thoughts and scholarly writing? Throughout your degree program, you will use research literature to explore ideas, guide your thinking, and gain new insights. As you search the research literature, it is important to use resources that are peer-reviewed and from scholarly journals. You may already have some favorite online resources and databases that you use or have found useful in the past. For this Discussion, you explore databases available through the Walden Library.

evidence to inform thoughts and scholarly writing

To find evidence to inform your thoughts and scholarly writing, especially in your PMHNP program, it is crucial to use peer-reviewed and scholarly sources. The Walden Library offers various databases that you can utilize for your research. Here are some recommended steps and databases to explore:

Steps to Search the Research Literature:

  1. Identify Your Topic or Research Question: Clearly define what you are looking for.
  2. Choose Relevant Keywords: Use specific and relevant keywords related to your topic.
  3. Access the Walden Library: Log in to the Walden Library using your credentials.
  4. Select Appropriate Databases: Choose databases that are relevant to your field of study.

Recommended Databases Available Through the Walden Library:

  1. CINAHL Plus with Full Text:
    • Focuses on nursing and allied health literature.
    • Provides full-text access to hundreds of journals and articles on various nursing topics.
  2. PubMed:
    • A comprehensive database for biomedical and health sciences literature.
    • Offers access to MEDLINE, which includes references to articles from academic journals in the field of medicine, including mental health.
  3. PsycINFO:
    • Covers literature in psychology and related fields.
    • Contains abstracts and citations for scholarly articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations.
  4. Cochrane Library:
    • Specializes in systematic reviews and meta-analyses in healthcare.
    • Provides high-quality evidence for clinical decision-making.
  5. MEDLINE:
    • Another essential resource for medical literature.
    • Covers a broad range of topics in medicine, nursing, and health services.
  6. ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Database:
    • Provides full-text access to scholarly journals, dissertations, and other relevant resources in nursing and allied health.
  7. Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database:
    • Focuses on evidence-based practice resources.
    • Includes systematic reviews, implementation reports, and evidence summaries.

Tips for Effective Searching:

  • Use Boolean Operators: Combine keywords with AND, OR, and NOT to refine your search.
  • Apply Filters: Use filters such as publication date, full-text availability, peer-reviewed status, and specific subjects to narrow down your search results.
  • Review Abstracts: Read the abstracts to quickly determine the relevance of the articles.
  • Check References: Use the reference lists of relevant articles to find additional sources.

Accessing Databases:

  1. Log in to the Walden Library: Navigate to the Walden University Library website and log in using your student credentials.
  2. Navigate to the Databases: Click on the “Databases A-Z” link or browse by subject.
  3. Select and Search: Choose the database that fits your research needs and start your search using relevant keywords.

By using these databases and following the above steps, you can find high-quality, peer-reviewed evidence to support your scholarly writing and research throughout your degree program.

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