Enhancing Leadership: A Literature Search Exploration

Literature Search Assignment #2 (50 points)

This assignment is intended to facilitate student’s search for current, peer-reviewed literature to inform the Leadership paper. Each step of this assignment will help you retrieve the highest quality references.

1. What is the topic of your Leadership paper? _________________________________________

1. Search the literature: The purpose of this part of the assignment is to retrieve a total of 5 current articles that relate to the topic of your Leadership paper and that will be synthesized in the Review of Literature section of your paper. (10 points)
   1. To maximize your literature search, it’s best to use keywords that are recognized by the databases you plan to search.
      1. In CINAHL (database), the keywords are called ‘subject headings.’ Here is a link for more information: https://connect.ebsco.com/s/article/CINAHL-Subject-Headings-Frequently-Asked-Questions?language=en_US
      2. In PubMed/Medline, the keywords are called MeSH headings. Here is a link for more information: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html
   2. Identify 2 or 3 of the most important words or main ideas. These are your keywords which you will use to guide your search of the literature.
   3. Keep the keywords from your first literature search (left column), but now add any new keywords you searched when you conducted literature search #2 (right column).

1. 1. For Literature Search #2 – Identify at least one new online database(s) from the USC Aiken library that you searched. One must be CINAHL. (5 points)

1. 1. Construct a search strategy that you will use to locate 3 more required articles for the Leadership paper. You must complete a minimum of 3 searches. (15 points – 5 pts for each search)

Remember:

1. 1. 1. AND narrows a search by requiring that both terms be in the results
      2. OR broadens a search by scanning the literature for either term
      3. NOT narrows a search by eliminating undesired aspects of your topic
      4. * truncates the term and searches for any ending
         1. Example: Catheter could be searched using cath*

1. 1. Discussion: Reassess your search strategies based on your results. Describe the changes you made if your search yielded >100 or < 10 articles? (5 points)

1. Statistics that highlight the scope of the issue (the topic of your leadership paper) are often located on professional websites. Examples of professional websites include the American Nurses Association, the World Health Organization, or the Food & Drug Administration. Websites for the lay public (ex: Web MD) or social nursing sites (ex: Daily nurse or Nurse network) are not appropriate.
   1. Please identify a minimum of 3 professional websites that you searched. Provide the rationale for your choice of professional organizations/websites. (3 points)

1. The goal is to retrieve articles that are both current and scholarly. To be considered scholarly, articles must be peer-reviewed (published in peer-reviewed journals). Ironically, Letters to the Editor, Commentary columns, or Editorials (although published in peer-reviewed journals) are not peer-reviewed. Also, Board of Nursing newsletters are not peer-reviewed. Therefore, none should be used to inform your Leadership paper.

1. Write a reference list including the 3 articles retrieved from Literature Search #2 and the web sites accessed in correct APA format (per the 7th edition) at the end of this assignment. Articles that are not current or scholarly will lose points. (9 points)

1. Submit full-text copies of the 3 articles retrieved from this initial literature search. (3 points)

1. Submit this assignment to the Assignments tab on Blackboard. Full-text articles should be submitted electronically through Blackboard.

References (type reference list here)