Week 8 Discussion Post: Search-Based Questions

Post a summary of your experience in beginning your literature search and assess your
initial progress. Explain what is working for you in terms of a plan or search strategy to
find relevant, current literature, including the Walden Library support resources you
would recommend. Explain issues of concern and specific questions regarding the search
process.
Like any newbie, I admit that beginning my literature search was not easy, especially
locating relevant and current (five years old) literature about medical and surgical errors. I had
two significant issues: the inability to narrow down my search using specific keywords (or using
Boolean search) and problems navigating through Walden University Library’s “Resource”
center. I relied on the “Google” search engine to look for relevant articles, and the results were
disappointing. As classical of Google, the search returned hundreds of thousands of options, with
a majority of the articles being neither peer-reviewed nor current. The problem was that even the
most recent articles were sometimes not peer-reviewed and, thus, unreliable for scientific use.
One mistake I made was copying and pasting the entire topic question without narrowing it to the
specific keywords. My article search was also limited to “Google Scholar” and other freely
accessible online databases like PubMed. The problem with these sites is that the most relevant
and current articles are not available in full copy.
But as time has gone by, I can attest that I have significantly improved my search skills,
especially after reading through my friend’s previous posts, seeking advice from colleagues and
the instructor on how to use the Walden University support resources, and teaching myself how
to use the Boolean logic. Quick Answers, Walden Library tour, Help & Guide, and Ask a
Librarian are some of Walden’s Library resources that have helped me learn about navigating

SEARCH-BASED QUESTIONS 3
various databases, developing an appropriate search strategy, and finding reliable and current
journal articles and books and other academic information. Knowing how to quickly search
articles in Walden University Library by doi, journal, and the title has been the greatest epiphany
within the past few weeks. Admittedly, everything seems to be currently going my way.
However, I am still concerned about the types of evidence considered relevant and accurate for
qualitative or quantitative research. Does my study type (qualitative or quantitative) impact the
kind of evidence that should be collected and, thus, the journal articles searched? Does the study
design of these articles also affect their validity and reliability?