TOPIC 6:
Nursing research reports, where to find them, and what types of articles are preferable.
| Objective 6: Identify sources that publish nursing research reports and distinguish between primary and secondary sources. |
Burns and Grove (2003) provide a list of nursing journals that primarily focus on research. These titles are displayed on page 49 in Table 2-3. These journals are refereed, which means that experts in that content area review articles submitted for consideration and assess the quality of the article for publication. Articles submitted for consideration are evaluated using strict standards for critique.
An important distinction for identifying relevant research articles is whether the article is a primary or a secondary source.
- A primary source is an original research report prepared by the researcher(s) that conducted the study. The only interpretations in a primary source belong to the researchers.
- A secondary source is someone else's interpretation of a primary source. Common secondary sources include books, book chapters, and review articles. Since secondary sources synthesize and interpret research done by others, they are more prone to bias and misinterpretation than primary sources. However, secondary sources are also useful in the research process because they provide reference lists composed of primary sources and they also may be a source of good ideas.