- Brandel Library
- Research Guides
- NURS 2100: Survey of Professional Nursing
- Exploratory Paper Resources
NURS 2100: Survey of Professional Nursing
Exploratory Paper Resources
Exploratory Paper
The objective of the Exploratory Paper is to explore an aspect of nursing through formal writing and research.
- You will need a least 5 scholarly sources.
- One source may be a non-nursing journal.
- The other 4 sources must be from a peer-reviewed nursing journal.
- Do not use foreign journals.
Where can I find scholarly/peer-reviewed articles?
The library subscribes to very few journals in print. Most scholarly journals can be accessed through online article databases. Using an article database allows you to search hundreds of different journals at once.
- Comprehensive research reference tool for nursing and allied health professionals; includes the full text of more than 1,300 journals.
- Full-text articles from many scholarly and peer-reviewed nursing journals.
- Full-text articles from academic journals in the fields of medicine, nursing, and biology.
- Can I access these databases off campus?Yes! You can access all databases on/off campus. If you are off-campus, you will be prompted to enter your NPU email and password
Search Strategy
Just as you should plan your essay before starting to write, you should also plan your search strategy before searching for relevant articles.
Step 1: State your topic. You can write your topic as a sentence, short paragraph, or question.
Step 2: Identify your Keywords. Circle, highlight or underline the keywords and phrases that are relevant to your topic.
Step 3: Identify synonyms and alternative keywords.
Step 4: Connect your keywords/phrases. Use the words AND/OR to connect your keywords and phrases.
Popular vs. Scholarly
Scholarly journal articles:
- written by experts in the field
- aimed at an informed reader
- followed by a bibliography
- include the credentials of the author(s)
- Example: The American Journal of Nursing
Popular magazine articles:
- written by staff reporters
- aimed at the general public
- published more frequently (weekly or monthly)
- Example: Newsweek