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RN to BSN Resources

Library Research Guide to support the RN to BSN program

What is a Primary vs. Secondary Source?

Primary Sources are written by the person(s) who developed the theory or conducted the research. An appropriate literature review mainly reflect the use of primary sources.

Secondary Sources are usually a brief description of a study,written by person(s) other than the original researcher. Often, a secondary source represents a response to, or a summary and critique of, the original researchers' work.

Source: Fain, J. A. (2009). Reading, understanding, and applying nursing research (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co..
 

How do I determine if an article is "peer reviewed" or "scholarly"?

Scholarly journals are also called academic, peer-reviewed, or refereed journals. These are journals that submit articles to several other scholars, experts, or academics (peers) in the field for review and comment. These reviewers must agree that the article represents properly conducted original research or writing before it can be published.

What to look for:

  • abstract (descriptive summary)
  • footnotes or bibliographies
  • institutions author(s) are from, ex. universities, research institutions, think tanks 
  • main purpose is to report on original research or experimentation

EXAMPLES OF SCHOLARLY JOURNALS:

JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association; NEJM: The New England Journal of Medicine

Question: Are the journals in PubMed "flagged" as peer-reviewed? Answer: No.  

Q. Where can I find a list of peer-reviewed/refereed journals?

A. From Cornell Univerrsity: Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals

Limit to: "Peer-Reviewed" in any of the EBSCOHost Databases or in ERIC in the Ovid platform

List of Potential, Possible, and Probable Predatory Open Access Journals and Publishers - Trust But Verify!

 

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research

Quantitative Studies  - "Numbers".

  • Reduces data to numerical findings that are often expressed in charts and graphs
  • Groups features together and counts them
  • Deductive logic
  • Often tools - surveys, questionnaires, etc. - are used to compile data
  • Researcher is removed from the subject of investigation to remain neutral/objective

Qualitative Studies - "Words".

  • Descriptive
  • Inductive logic
  • Often involve interviews or observation to compile data
  • Researcher is more often immersed in the subject of investigation, and more likely to be subjective

The study in question: the author is a member of the program being studied; the data comes from observation and is highly descriptive: A qualitative study.

Source: University of Northern Colorado Libraries.