AHS 102: Professional Journal Assignment

General Overview

When doing research for this assignment, remember that  articles can be about any part of the system as well as the system as a whole, or even about a disease affecting that system.   For example, if you were researching the nervous system, you could look for articles about the nervous system as well as articles focusing on a particular part of the nervous system such as the central nervous system, the brain or cerebellum or diseases affecting the nervous system such as multiple sclerosis.

Keep in mind that your topic may be found under different names. For example, "Lou Gehrig's disease" is also known as "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis" or "ALS."  You may need to vary your search terms depending on the database you are using. If you have problems finding information, be sure to try different search terms for your topic.

Try different types of searches. If you cannot find what you need by doing a “subject” search,  try a “keyword”search.

Be sure to click on the link to limit results to "peer reviewed publications" or "scholarly (peer reviewed) journals" to get articles from peer-reviewed journals (i.e. "professional journals").

Pay attention to the length of the article; remember you want an article that you can summarize. A 500 to 900 word article will usually be between 1 and 2 pages. Also make sure that the article has medical terms that can be defined.

Searching Health Science Databases for Professional Journal Articles

To access databases you can search for medical related articles, go to the Library's home page and click on the “Health Science Databases” link under the Topic Databases Heading.  This will take you to a list of the Health Sciences Databases.  Below are search tips for two of the databases, Health Reference Center Academic and Health Source: Nursing/Academic.

Gale Databases: Health Reference Center Academic

If you access this on campus, the link will take you directly to this Database. If you click on the link from off-campus, you will be taken to a list of Gale Databases; just scroll down until you see "Health Reference Center Academic." Click on the title to get to the database.  You can also get to this database by going to the library's homepage and clicking on the "Gale Database Link." This will take you to a list off all the Gale Databases the Library has access to. 

• Gale Database Sample Search #1: Subject Browse Search
  Searching by subject (searching for articles about your topic: the system, part of the system, or a disease affecting the system)

  • Subject Browse Search central nervous system

  • If a large amount of articles comes up, you may want to select “Subdivisions” to view a list of your subject's subtopics.

  • Once you are in the list of articles select:   Limit by Full Text (Check the box)

  and Limit by Peer Reviewed Publications (Check the box)

   

   

• Gale Database Sample Search #2: Basic Search
  Searching for terms related to your system

  • Keyword: Alzheimer's disease and brain

  • Click on "More Search Options" to be able to limit results

  • Limit by Full Text (Check the box)

  • Limit by Peer Reviewed Publications (Check the box)

Note: A Keyword Search may give you a large number of articles; just use the ones that meet your needs. Be sure to pick the articles that are directly about the system you are researching.

For additional help with Gale Database Articles, general searching instructions can be found under the "General Research Information" learning module in this Library Research Blackboard Course.

Citing in MLA: For an example on how to cite a journal article in MLA format, go to the library's MLA Format Handout and look under the section "Articles, Books, Pamphlets and Other Materials from Library's Electronic Databases."  It will be listed under the heading: "Gale Database Journal Article."

• Health Source Nursing/Academic  Sample Search

  • Keyword: "Alzheimer's disease" and brain

  • Limit by Full Text (Check the box)

  • Limit by "scholarly (peer reviewed) journals" (Check the box)

Note: Use quotation marks when doing a phrase search. This will tell the database that you want the word “Alzheimer's" next to the word “disease.”

Citing in MLA: For an example on how to cite an EBSCO journal article in MLA format, go to the library's MLA Format Handout and look under the section, "Articles, Books, Pamphlets and Other Materials from Library's Electronic Databases."  It will be listed under the heading: "EBSCO Database Journal Article."

Using this guide, you should be able to find the information needed to complete the assignment. If you have any problems, contact the Library at 864-592-4764 or toll-free at 1-866-542-2779. You may also email questions to ask a librarian.