Finding resources for your assignment - Nursing - Guides at University of South Australia Skip to Main Content Open Menu Open Search Search across all UniSA pages Enter your search terms Submit Home Hours Study Rooms Ask The Library My Library Library Guides Subject Guides Nursing Finding resources for your assignment Search this GuideSearch Home Plan your searchToggle Dropdown Develop your research question Search for your assignment Find evidenceToggle Dropdown Overview Find books and journal articles Find evidence (Government and organisation information) Data & statistics In FocusToggle Dropdown Forgotten Australians Clinical skills Mental healthToggle Dropdown Aged care & mental health Mental health resources: 0-65 years Evaluate Assignment helpToggle Dropdown Finding resources for your assignment HLTH 1036: Global and National Health – A1 Task 2 & A2 HLTH 1047: First Peoples' Health – A1 NURS 1072: Foundations of Nursing Practice NURS 2023: Health of Adults - Nursing Case Study Report NURS 2024: Health of Older Adults NURS 5164: Best Practice in Adolescent Mental Health NURS 3055: Evidence Based Nursing Practice NURS 3045: Nursing Context of Practice: Primary Health Care UniSA Online - NURS 1066: Living Skills and Life Routines in Aged Care Help Finding resources for your assignment The search process You’ll complete a variety of assessments while at UniSA, including essays, reviews, reports and more. While assessment types may vary, the essential search process stays the same. This page will guide you through that process, from question interpretation and search strategy creation to resource evaluation and referencing. Understand your task Begin by clarifying the assessment requirements. Read the assignment instructions and marking criteria supplied on your course site. The video below explains more about writing assignments at university. If you need to develop a research topic/question, visit the Develop your research question tab on this guide to learn how. Key points from the video Doing an assignment isn't a linear process. Start by reading the task in detail, so you know what you need to do. The assignment instructions and feedback sheet will explain the structure of your assignment. You can find out more about different assignment types on the Study Help website. You might need to revise your assignment plan as you go - this might happen a few times before you write your final draft! As you read more, your argument should evolve to incorporate new information. Make sure you use reliable resources to support your argument. To interpret your task you will need to identify the content words and phrases - these show what you have to focus on. The instruction words tell you how to approach the content, for example, describing something is different to comparing. Identify the limits of your assignment by looking at keywords, word limits and other instructions. Start the process early to get ahead. Read: Understanding assignments and instructions words Think about your topic You’ll need a broad understanding of your topic before searching. Brainstorm what you already know and what you need to investigate. Searching for background information can build your understanding of your assignment. Find this through the Library Collection or the web (see step 6). Select the plus symbols below to learn more about background information. A mind map can also be helpful in organising your thoughts at this point. Read: Using mind maps to plan your assignment Try: Bubbl.us (free online mind mapping tool) Prepare your search strategy To search effectively it is important to prepare a search strategy. Identify the key concepts (main ideas) in your assignment. Terminology used will vary, so be sure to consider alternative terms for each. These will be your search keywords. Have a look at the example question below to see how to start preparing your search strategy. You can use quotation marks (“ “) to find an exact match, e.g. “healthcare professional”. Combine your terms to form your search strategy (you'll type this in the search box): combine all the search terms for the same concept using OR This will search for any of the words included combine different concepts using AND This will search for at least one word from each line This list doesn't show every possible search term, just a few examples. Watch: Study help: plan your search (2:26) Read: How to save time searching databases Read: Plan your search Know what you need Now consider the types of resources needed to complete your assignment. As information comes in many different formats, some types may be more appropriate to your assessment requirements. Select the plus symbols below to read more about some of the main resources. Peer reviewed resources You may be asked to use 'peer reviewed' or 'refereed' references. These are evaluated by subject experts before publication, so can indicate higher quality and more authoritative information. Not all 'scholarly' or 'academic' resources are peer reviewed. Watch: Study help: scholarly sources explained (2:22) Read: How to find peer reviewed journal articles Start your search Where to search Library Collection Database Google Scholar Websites You can search for information using a range of tools, including the Library Collection and databases, Google Scholar, and internet search engines. Choose the sources that are best suited to your needs. Select the plus symbols below to learn more about different search options. Watch: Choosing where to search (2:30) Basic search This is the default option when searching in the Library Collection. 1. Add in one keyword for each concept, combining them with AND. Note: Searching for more general terms will find more results. 2. Select Search. 3. Swap your keywords with your alternative terms to see different results. Advanced search If you would like to do a more comprehensive search, use the Advanced search. 1. Put each concept on a new line 2. Add your alternative words, combining them with OR. 3. Select Search. Filters Use the filters on the left to limit and refine your results. You could try limiting to: Peer-reviewed journals Full text online Resource types Publication date range Medline Searching in Medline is different to searching in the Library Collection. 1. Type your first concept and alternative words into the search box. 2. Untick the box labeled Map to Subject Heading. 3. Select Search. 4. Repeat steps 1-3 for your next concepts. 5. Tick the boxes next to each of your concept lines. 6. Select Combine with AND. 7. Scroll down to see your results. Scopus You can do a basic or advanced search, just like in the Library Collection. 1. Type all your keywords for your first concept into the search box. 2. Select the plus symbol to the right to add a line for your next concept. 3. Add all your keywords for your second concept into the search bar. 4. Repeat steps 2-3 until you have used all your concepts. 5. Select Search. More useful databases: Emcare Embase Web of Science Google Scholar You can search Google Scholar in the same way as a basic search on the Library homepage. Access Google Scholar on the Library website Follow the instructions to link your session to UniSA Use the basic Collection search on the Library website Look for the PDF links or Fulltext at UniSA links to access the resource Relevant websites To find relevant websites that are recommended for your area of study, have a look at the Find evidence: government and organisation information tab in this guide. You could also visit the following resources: Aboriginal Health page Aged Care and Mental Health page Data and Statistics page Grey Literature Guide Mental Health 0-65 page Migrants and Refugee Health page Rural and Remote Health page Google You can use Google to search for information from professional bodies, governments, and non-government organisations. This might include reports, clinical guidelines, professional standards, codes of conduct, and more. Google has a number of useful search features that can make your searching more efficient: Google Search Tips LibKey Nomad If you are looking for information on the internet, it's worth downloading LibKey Nomad. It's a browser extension that will look for full text PDFs of journal articles from websites outside of the Library Collection. This is helpful when looking on pages such as Wikipedia, because you can easily access and read the articles from the reference list. Instructions to download LibKey Nomad are available here. Select appropriate references You should critically evaluate all resources found to determine their appropriateness for your assignment. The video below explains more. Key points from the video Having access to a lot of information can be overwhelming. Evaluating information helps you decide what resources you should use. One technique you can use is the CRAAP test. Currency: How recent is the information? Does it suit your needs? Relevance: Is the information relevant to your assignment? Authority: Who wrote the information? Are they an expert? Accuracy: Is the information accurate? Is it supported by evidence? Purpose: Why was the resource created? Is there any bias? You can use the CRAAP tool to think about these issues when evaluating your resources. Correctly reference your sources You must appropriately cite (‘acknowledge’) all references used in your assignment to avoid plagiarism. Referencing hub Write it up Written assignments Oral presentations Debates Videos / Podcasts The Study Help: assignment writing page has lots of information to help you with writing various types of assignments, including Study help: Writing essays Study help: Writing reports Study help: Writing case studies Study help: Writing literature reviews Study help: Writing annotated bibliographies Study help: Reflective writing The following resources will help you prepare for oral presentations: Watch: Building great business presentations (1:08:00) Read: Oral presentations (Study Help page) Read: Ten simple rules for making good oral presentations The following resources will help you formulate your debate: Visit: Toastmasters International website Read: Debating: a brief introduction for beginners (Debating SA) Watch: Debate skill: argument building (11:08) Watch: Debate lesson: refutation and rebuttal (11:11) The following resources will help you create videos: Watch: How to write a script (3:51) The following resources will help you create podcasts: Watch: Producing podcasts (1:42:00) Watch: How to start a podcast (14:26) Open source (free) software: Audacity CamStudio Inkscape Pixlr Sceencast-O-Matic If you need help, just ask! Contact: Ask the Library Ask: the Study Help PALs Use: Studiosity Talk to: a Learning Adviser << Previous: Assignment help Next: HLTH 1036: Global and National Health – A1 Task 2 & A2 >> Last Updated: Aug 2, 2023 11:32 AM URL: https://guides.library.unisa.edu.au/Nursing Print Page The text within this Guide is licensed CC BY 4.0. Image licenses can be found within the image attributions document on the last page of the Guide. Ask the Library for information about reuse rights for other content within this Guide. 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