NUR 27500: Alternative Therapies for Nursing Practice: Find Research Articles

This guide will provide information for students enrolled in Nursing 27500 on how to access and use library resources to locate research articles on alternative therapies.  Click on the tabs at the top of the page for information. 

There are some databases which allow you to limit your results to research articles.  Even when limiting your results to research articles, it is important to read the content of the article to make sure it qualifies as an original research article. 

For example, in CINAHL, you can select the "Publication Type" limiter to designate "Research," which will retrieve any type of research article. If you would like a specific type of research article, you can select "Clinical Trial" or "Randomized Controlled Trial."

Use the CINAHL Headings tab at the top of the search screen for guidance on search terms. 

Type in "Alternative Therapies" for a list of subject terms that can be used in your search for articles.

A review of the abstract and text of an article will provide important information of assistance in identifying it as a research study. 

Look for the headings like the following:

• Objective
• Methods
• Design
• Participants
• Data Analysis
• Results
• Conclusions
• Discussion

It is important to be able to distinguish whether the author is reporting on the findings of his or her study (original research). 

If the author of the article is only conducting a literature review of other studies, or the article is a systematic review or meta-analysis, this is not a primary research study.

A primary source is a description of a research study written by the original investigator(s). You can identify a primary source by determining whether the author(s) of the article investigated (conducted) the research described in the article. Primary research studies will often (though not always) contain section headings to identify the component parts, such as Objectives, Method, Results, Conclusions, Discussion.

Cooke, M., Moyle, W., Shum, D., Harrison, S., & Murfield, J. (2010). A randomized controlled trial exploring the effect of music on quality of life and depression in older people with dementia. Journal of Health Psychology, 15(5), 765-776. doi:10.1177/1359105310368188

Wu, H., & Lin, L. (2013). The moderating effect of nutritional status on depressive symptoms in veteran elders with dementia: a spaced retrieval combined with Montessori-based activities. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(10), 2229-2241. doi:10.1111/jan.12097

Boström, A., Squires, J. E., Mitchell, A., Sales, A. E., & Estabrooks, C. A. (2012). Workplace aggression experienced by frontline staff in dementia care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 21(9/10), 1453-1465. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.03924.x

Blondell, S. J., Hammersley-Mather, R., & Lennert Veerman, J. (2014). Does physical activity prevent cognitive decline and dementia?: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 1036-1061. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-510

The library offers a wide range of online resources, including databases with various journals from which to choose articles and research studies.

To access your Library resources, please visit the homepage

Please consult your Library Liaison directly for research assistance.

If your Librarian is unavailable, please contact the Library's Reference desk at (219) 989-2676 or click on the CHAT WITH A LIBRARIAN link below to submit a question or see answers to frequently asked questions.

Library Hours: 

Library staff members are available to assist you during library hours.