Controlling the Research Topic

Nursing 63-377

September 9, 2015September 14, 2015

Presented byGraham Staffen, Leddy LIbrary

Why does topic control matter in research assignments?

• uses time efficiently• structures your search• makes you think

Ask yourself questions!

• research is driven by questions• key skill for students to develop• keep course objectives in mind

First Steps

1. Ask questions about the assignment requirements?• read a written assignment carefully.

• insure you understand.

2. Reduce the assigned topic to a question.• most assignments can be reduced to a single question.

• probe the topic in a way that interests you

Question must answerable in the circumstances.

• length of paper submitted

• amount of available time

• quantity of supporting research

Manipulating the question

• depending on what is assigned, the basis for the question can be made broader or narrower

example

What is the relationship between early onset dementia and exercise?

Broader

early onset dementia and exercise

• neurodegenerative brain disease and exercise

• central nervous system and exercise

• dementia and physical fitness

• dementia and physical/mental fitness

• dementia and general health

PICO

P – patient, problem or population

I – intervention or indicator (management strategy, diagnostic test, exposure, therapy, etc.)

C – control or comparator (alternative strategy, test or therapy)

O – outcome (consequences of intervention)

Narrower

early onset dementia and exercise

• P - young adult women or middle aged women afflicted by dementia

ormiddle-aged women afflicted with alzheimer’s

• I - cardiovascular physical fitness

• C - strength training or none

• O - memory recall ability

When is a question too broad?

• when the answer has no single focuso raises more questions than can be answered

o lacks specifics

o has too many competing ideas

• when there is too much research literatureo database search turns up hundreds of references

o internet search turns up thousands of websites

When is a question too narrow?

• theoretically - never• practically - when research is hard to find

My questions1. What is the relationship between early onset

dementia and exercise?

2. Does exercise reduce the prevalence of dementia in middle-aged women?

3. Does moderate cardiovascular exercise retard memory degradation in middle-aged women with alzheimer’s?

Thesis statement

• short summary of the argument or analysis that is to follow.

Why is it necessary?

• states your position

• pin points your argument

• better organization

• direct the search for supporting research

My thesis

“Moderate cardiovascular exercise significantlyretards memory degradation in middle-aged women with alzheimer’s .”

Translating my thesis into searchable terms

1. alzheimer’s

2. cardiovascular exercise or aerobic exercise or running or jogging or swimming or cycling or walking

3. moderate or low intensity or nonstrenuous

4. women or female or gender or sex

5. early onset or middle-aged or young adult

6. memory or recall or recollection or remembering

Reduces to:1. alzheimer*

2. ((cardiovascular or cardio or aerobic* or physical) and (fitness or exercis*)) or running or jogging or swimming or cycling or walking

3. moderate or “low intensity” or nonstrenuous

4. (“early onset” or “middle-aged” or “young adult”) and (women or gender or sex)

5. memor* or recall or recollection or remember*

My revised thesis

Moderate Cardiovascular exercise improves significantly retards memory degradation function in middle-aged women patients with alzheimer’s.

Or more legibly,

“Cardiovascular exercise improves memory function in patients with alzheimer’s.”

My further revised thesis

“Cardiovascular exercise improves memory function

in patients with alzheimer’s dementia.”

Steps

• starting with some intellectual effort (thinking),

• taking a topic and posing ourselves questions,

• working that question into manageable form,

• establishing a working thesis to direct our investigation,

• breaking thesis into conceptual components to give our search structure and organization,

• identifying searchable terms,

• interrogating an appropriate database, or set of databases ,

• if necessary, revise thesis.

Group Assignment(one submission from each group)

Total marks 25 - 5% of course grade

1. Submit a one sentence statement of your group’s chosen topic. (1 mark)

2. Devise a broader and a narrower question based upon the topic and provide a one sentence statement of each. (4 marks)

3. From your topic, develop a focused research question and an associated thesis. Provide a one or two sentence statement of each. (10 marks)

4. In a database of your choosing, search for and submit references for two scholarly sources that establish the thesis developed can be supported by available research. (6 marks)

5. Provide a copy of the search history. (4 marks)

6. Submit to: gstaffe@uwindsor.caSept 9 class -> due: Sept 16, 2015 – 4:00 p.m.Sept 14 class -> due: Sept 21, 2015 – 4:00 p.m.