6003 Chapter 2 Key Terms

Boolean operator

words used in a database search that helps you to relate key terms (advanced search option in PubMed allows you to use these)

• common ones are AND, OR, and NOT

database

organized collection of digital data, a compilation of evidence within a serachable structure

• often focuses on a specific area of research

impact factor

a calculated number based on the yearly average number of times articles in a particular journal are cited in other articles

institutional animal care and use committee

ethical board that approves research involving animal subjects

• ensure animals are cared for and not subject to unnecessary pain/suffering

institutional review board

ethical board that approves search involving human subjects

• ensure benefits of research outweigh risks

• ethical principles are adhered to

• subjects are adequately informed before consenting

peer review process

• process used by scholarly journals to determine whether a study meets quality standards for that particular journal

• should not be regarded as a guarantee of credibility or accuracy

• weakness is that it can fail to identify fraudulent reporting

predatory journals

• pose as scholarly journals and often include unethical business practices

• taking advantage of people under pressure to publish by requiring a fee and promising a quick acceptance to publication time

primary source

• most reliable sources because they have not been interpreted or summarized by others

• ex: original research studies, professional or governmental reports based on original research or data collection

publication bias

inclination for journals to publish positive (significant) outcomes more frequently than negative (non-significant) outcomes

secondary source

• documents or publications that interpret or summarize a primary source

• ex: websites (typically), newspaper, television

trade journal

• published by industries and organizations that include topics of interest to individuals within a specific profession

• typically not peer-reviewed

• can make sharing health-care information more accessible

  • as practitioners, be comfortable going to original source and appraising evidence there

which database provides the full text of all citations?

pubmed central

which database is limited to randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews relevant to OT practice?

OTSeeker

which of the boolean operators will increase the number of articles you are searching for?

a) AND

b) OR

c) NOT

d) PLUS

a) AND

which terms should you use if you want to find studies on different types of dementia but want to exclude studies on frontotemporal dementia?

a) dementia AND frontotemporal

b) dementia OR frontotemporal

c) dementia NOT frontotemporal

c) dementia NOT frontotemporal

a benefit of membership in your professional organization most typically includes

a) access to the full text of the organization’s journal

b) access to the services of a research librarian

c) access to the full text of all articles indexed in PubMed

a) access to the full text of the organization’s journal

the practice implications of a study are included in what section of a research article

discussion

any financial conflict of interest should be identified in what section of a research article

acknowledgement