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Brackenridge Optometry Library: Researching

More direct access to the resources that benefit the Optometry community.

Quick Research Tips

Start with some background research before you decide on your question or topic.

Places to start:

  • Textbook or class readings
  • Encyclopedias or reference material
  • Reliable websites
  • Library resources

After a little background research, you can refine your topic.  Here are some questions to help focus your topic/question:

  • Is there a subset?  Example: Psychology --> Developmental Psychology
  • Is there a cause/effect relationship?  Example: Television and brain development
  • Is there an unanswered question?  Also called a gap in the literature
  • Can you focus on a time, place, or group of people?  Example: Television and development in infants (0-1)

Information is not created equally.  Ask yourself questions before using that source.

  • Who is responsible for the information?  Should that author or publisher?
  • What about references?  Are there any?
  • Where else is the information repeated?
  • When was it published?
  • Why was it published?

Quick Find Tips

Find print and electronic books in Primo.

  • Use main ideas
  • Add quotes around phrases
  • Use Boolean
  • Apply filters

Example: war and ethics and "just cause"

Use quotes, Boolean, and main ideas in Primo

 

Limit your results and apply filters.

Find news, encyclopedia, and journal articles in the databases

  • Use main ideas
  • Add quotes around phrases
  • Use Boolean
  • Apply filters

Example: war and ethics and "just cause"

Find videos, audiobooks, images, and more in the databases

  • Use main ideas
  • Add quotes around phrases
  • Use Boolean
  • Apply filters

PubMed Simple Search Tutorial

Search the UIW Libraries

Specifics of Optometry Research

Open Access Optometry and Ophthalmology Journals

Tips It's a Research Article

  • Will be listed as primary research, original research, basic research, or clinical trial. Primary research is clinical or experimental in nature where as secondary research reviews previous studies.
  • Authors’ names and affiliations are clearly stated on the first page of article.
  • May have identifying numbers assigned to indicate indexed in database PMID: 28122407 (for PubMed) or digital object identifier DOI: 10.1111/cxo.12507 which is a persistent link to the article.
  • Will have an ABSTRACT – Some elements potentially listed in a structured abstract via headings: Purpose, Introduction, Scope, Design, Participants, Methods/Methodology, Outcome Measures, Results, Discussion, Conclusion. You won't see all of these in one article.
  • ABSTRACTS are 150 – 300 words that summarize the article and help you determine if you need to read the entire article.
  • Will have REFERENCES listed at the end of the article – all the resources the author consulted for their research.
  • Will list KEYWORDS – to make searching more on the subject easier.

Example of acceptable research article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28122407/

Research Article Example First Page

 

Tell-tale signs this article is not for this assignment:

States Review at the top and the abstract's first statement says "review."

Example Review Article First Page Image

 

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