research_database_assignment.docxResearch Database Assignment
Guidelines and Grading Rubric
Purpose
You are to locate and document research databases that relate to a significant clinical nursing issue of your choice.
Course Outcomes
This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcome:
CO 1: Examine the sources of evidence that contribute to professional nursing practice. (PO7)
Due Date: You are to identify a total of five (5) research databases (or collections of research-based evidence) that are relevant to a significant clinical nursing issue that is important to you. Submit the descriptions using the form provided in Doc Sharing to the Week 5 Dropbox by 11:59 p.m. Sunday (MT).
Points
The assignment is worth a total of 175 points. Please see the grading rubric for details.
Requirements
1. Choose a topic of interest to you that is a significant clinical nursing issue. Please note that the databases you identify could be useful sources of information for your Capstone project in NR451, so choose your topic thoughtfully.
2. Download the “Research_Database_Form” from Doc Sharing and type information about each database directly onto the form. Your paper does NOT need to follow APA formatting; however, you are expected to use correct grammar, spelling, and syntax and write in complete sentences.
3. Save the file by clicking “Save as: and adding your last name, e.g., “NR449_Research Database_Smith.docx”
4. Describe your topic of interest. This is worth 15 points.
5. Locate a total of five (5) research databases or collections related to your topic. Each research database description is worth 30 points. You may search for these in various locations, e.g., the Internet, an intranet at work, print publications, etc. You may NOT choose the databases that are already familiar to you – EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, and CINAHL. Instead, your are expected to expand your knowledge of evidence-based sources. Places to help you begin include Houser (2012, p. 126), which lists databases and websites that report research. The Chamberlain online library (http://www.Chamberlain.edu/library) gives you access to several databases and provides a tutorial for the student. Government sites such as those at the National Institutes of Health offer collections of research on a variety of subjects. The key to choosing the databases is that each contains research-based evidence that also pertains to your topic of interest. The research databases may be labeled as such, or may be collections of research studies, reports, articles and/or findings that are not specifically called “databases.” Please note: Individual journals and journal articles do not meet the criteria for a research database, and therefore do not qualify for this assignment.
6. Review each database or collection to gather information to create a description for the assignment. Each description must:
a. Identify the title of the research database.
b. Describe the location of the research database in a way that a reader could find it. This could be a URL or an APA citation.
c. Name owner or publisher of the source.
d. Describe the research database. This must be in your own words and not copied and pasted from the original source. Include the purpose of the database and the subject matter it covers. This may be four or five sentences.
e. Explain how the research found in the database relates to your topic of interest. This may be an additional paragraph, perhaps two or three sentences.
7. Submit to the Research Database basket in the Dropbox by 11:59 p.m. MT Sunday at the end of Week 5. Please post question about this paper in the Q & A Forum.
Example
The following is an example of a description for MEDLINE:
Title: MEDLINE
Location: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/databases_medline.html
Description: MEDLINE is the name for the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online. It is a database owned by the U. S. National Library of Medicine. It has 16 million references from approximately 5,200 scholarly journals, newspapers, magazines and newsletters. MEDLINE uses Medical Subject Headings, or MeSH, to index its database holdings. Medline may be searched through PubMed, a public site that is free of charge. MedlinePlus offers consumer information.
MEDLINE is relevant to my topic of interest because it contains references to research articles on simulation in nursing. It has MeSH headings on simulation. This allows me to find abstracts from research studies that relate to teaching simulation in schools of nursing.
Grading Criteria
|
Category |
Points |
% |
Description |
|
Topic Description |
15 points |
9% |
Identify a topic of interest that pertains to a significant clinical nursing issue. Provide a brief description of the topic and why it was chosen. |
|
Research Database |
150 points (30/database) |
86% (17% each) |
|
|
Title, location, owner/publisher |
(15/database) |
|
· Identify, by title, a research database, or collection of research that is relevant to nursing. · Describe the location of the research database or collection of research, i.e., a URL or APA citation. · Name the owner and/or publisher of the database. |
|
Description, purpose, relevance to topic |
(15/database) |
|
· Describe in your own words the research database or collection of research. Include the purpose of the database and the subject matter it covers. · Explain how the database relates to your topic of interest. |
|
Writing |
10 points |
5% |
Properly name the file for submission. Include your name on the form. Write in complete sentences with no grammar, spelling or syntax errors. |
|
Total |
175 points |
100% |
|
Grading Rubric
|
Assignment Criteria |
A Outstanding or Highest Level of Performance |
B Very Good or High Level of Performance |
C Competent or Satisfactory Level of Performance |
D-F Poor, Failing or Unsatisfactory Level of Performance |
Total |
|
Topic Description (15 points) |
Identifies a nursing issue. Describes in detail the significance of the topic and why it is of personal interest. 14-15 points |
Identifies a nursing issue. Describes in general why it is important to nursing or why it is of personal interest. 13 points |
Identifies a nursing issue, but makes a weak case for why it is significant in general and of personal interest in particular. 12 points |
Does not identify a nursing issue, e.g,. identifies a medical topic, or fails to describe why the topic was chosen. 0-11 points |
/15 |
|
Research Database Description: Title, location, owner/publisher (15 points for EACH database) |
Selects a research database or collection that has relevance to nursing. Identifies the title of the database or collection. Gives the correct location of the database so that the reader can find it. Names the owner or publisher of the database. 14-15 points |
Selects a research database that has relevance to nursing. Gives the general location but the reader cannot necessarily find it. Correctly identifies the owner or publisher. 13 points |
Selects a source that reports research relevant to nursing, but is not a research database or collection. Gives a location that can’t be found, or fails to properly identify the owner. 12 points |
Selects a nursing resource that does not report research, or selects a research database that is not relevant to nursing, or fails to identify any source. 0-11 points |
/15 |
|
Research Database Description: Purpose, Relevance to Topic of Interest (15 points for EACH database) |
Describes in detail the research database or collection. Includes the purpose of the subject matter of the database. Explains how the database relates to your personal topic of interest. 14-15 points |
Describes briefly the research database or collection. Includes the purpose of the database. Explains how it relates to your topic of interest. 13 points |
Identifies the database or collection and its purpose. Explains how it relates to your topic of interest. 12 points
|
Gives the name of the database, but fails to describe it. Give no purpose, or an incorrect purpose. Fails to explain how it relates to your topic of interest. 0-11 points |
/15 |
|
Clarity and Writing (10 points) |
Writes with no grammar, spelling, syntax or other errors. 10 points |
Writing contains 1-2 errors of any type. 9 points |
Writing contains 3-4 errors of any type. 8 points |
Writing contains 5 or more errors. 0-7 points |
/10 |
|
TOTAL |
|
