What is a major purpose of doing a literature review?
a) Establishing the state of existing evidence on a topic
b) Developing research skills
c) Developing critical thinking skills
d) Developing bibliographic skills
a) Establishing the state of existing evidence on a topic
To a nurse seeking evidence on a question, a literature review article in a journal would be considered:
a) Bibliographic database
b) A secondary source
c) A descendant in the descendancy approach
d) A primary source
b) A secondary source
In which qualitative research tradition is a literature review least likely to be done prior to going into the field to collect data?
a) No major qualitative research tradition does a literature review at the outset.
b) Phenomenology
c) Ethnography
d) Grounded theory
d) Grounded theory
An especially important electronic database for nurses is:
a) NurSearch.
b) CINAHL.
c) Web of Knowledge.
d) EMBASE.
b) CINAHL.
Which statement is true?
a) With CINAHL, users do not have to use the exact keywords stored in the database’s index to perform a subject search.
b) CINAHL does not allow Boolean operators in the search field.
C) All CINAHL subject headings are substantive/topical ones (e.g., pain).
d) CINAHL provides bibliographic information (e.g., journal name, volume, etc.), but not abstracts.
a) With CINAHL, users do not have to use the exact keywords stored in the database’s index to perform a subject search.
Which statement is true?
a) The MEDLINE database uses the controlled vocabulary called MeSH.
b) Truncation symbols cannot be used to search the MEDLINE database.
c) The MEDLINE database can only be accessed through a commercial vendor.
d) CINAHL and MEDLINE searches will yield identical results.
a) The MEDLINE database uses the controlled vocabulary called MeSH.
In the following bibliographic reference from CINAHL, to what does the “12” refer? “Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 2015 Dec; 12 (6): 130-137, (15 ref).”
a) The issue of the journal
b) The month in which the study was published.
c) The volume of the journal
d) The page on which the report would begin.
c) The volume of the journal
In displaying bibliographic information for a journal article, which datum is not included in an electronic database entry?
a) Author(s)
b) Year study was conducted
c) Title of the report
d) Year study was published
b) Year study was conducted
A search of an electronic database yields a good, manageable list of references if the nurse:
a) searches using the name of the key researcher in the field.
b) searches in only one bibliographic database.
c) limits (restricts) the scope of the search in various ways.
d) searches using the Boolean operator “OR.”
c) limits (restricts) the scope of the search in various ways.
Which should the nurse not include in a written research review of the literature?
a) A full list of references
b) Identification of gaps in the literature
c) Extensive quotes from the original studies under review
d) The reviewer’s critical appraisal about the quality of existing research
c) Extensive quotes from the original studies under review
