Subject Guides: Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences: IHS 2121

Course research objective: Select and research a health care topic

The sophomore-level course focuses on using medical literature databases to research a topic of interest in healthcare to produce a report. This includes discovery of EBM and patient education content.

What do I need to know about scholarly research and writing?

Citation Guide (includes APA and MLA)
Learn about the journal style appropriate for formatting your paper and references.
The CRAAP Test
From the Meriam Library, CSU, Chico; list of questions to evaluate information for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose.

Which library databases contain scholarly and evidence-based resources?

PubMed This link opens in a new window
CINAHL Plus with Full Text This link opens in a new window
APA PsycInfo (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Cochrane Library This link opens in a new window

And many more:

A-Z Databases

Where can I learn about current medical topics, concerns and issues?

Evidence-Based Medicine Guide
Created and curated by the Maguire Medical Library
Health and Society Guide
Contains resources on ethics and professionalism, patient-centered medicine, health determinants and disparities, diversity, epidemiology, data and statistics, public health and policy, and insurance.
Medical Headlines Guide
Health and medical news, as well as resources to stay informed
Mental Health and Wellness Subject Guide
Created and curated by the Maguire Medical Library
Patient Education Subject Guide
Created and curated by the Maguire Medical Library

What's involved in choosing a research topic?

Picking Your Topic IS Research!
Introduction and link to brief video from the North Carolina State University Libraries

Choosing a Manageable Research Topic
Brief video from the Pfau Library's Library Tutorials collection
Selecting and Narrowing a Topic
Tips from the Indiana University Libraries' Research Essentials guide

How can I develop and answer my research question?

Refine your research topic to an answerable question that is innovative, clearly defined, and focused on problem resolution. Your question should include distinct concepts for analysis and not be too broad or too narrow in scope. Learn more about frameworks that help refine evidence-based clinical questions in "Formulating Answerable Questions: Question Negotiation in Evidence-based Practice.”

Evidence-based frameworks can help map your medical research question. Segment the topic into concepts, and then assign associated terms to each concept. Combine each concept into a literature search strategy for database entry.

PICO (Population/Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) is a popular framework for research in medicine.

PICO Example : What are the effects of low sodium diet on preeclampsia and hypertensive disorders in pregnant women?

Population/Patient: pregnant women

Intervention/Indicator: low sodium diet

Comparison/Control: routine care or minimal interventions

Outcome: preeclampsia, hypertensive disorders

Learn more about PICO and other models for framing the research question in related disciplines in “Formulating the Evidence Based Practice Question: A Review of the Frameworks.”

Once you have established an answerable research question, determine your question’s research need. Does your question address a "gap" within the literature? Does it address a larger societal impact or importance? If not, you may have to formulate a new or modified question.

To assess your topic’s research need, conduct a preliminary literature search in at least one appropriate database. Based on search results, refine your topic by either addressing a related unanswered question, choosing another population, or shifting to another topic altogether.

To master formulating a clinical question using PICO, as well as review how to search for and appraise evidence to answer the question, visit the Maguire Medical Library's PICO: Form a Focused Clinical Question subject guide.

What should I make sure NOT to do?

Do not...

...use Google unless you plan to spend time sifting through search results and deciding which ones are scholarly
...expect to come up with a research topic without reviewing a variety of information resources
...copy ideas or words from others unless you give them credit
...include references in your paper unless they help to answer your research question
...expect your paper to make sense unless you organize your main points and support them with evidence