THE MOST IMPORTANT NURSING QUALITY COA and RESEARCH

COAT OF ARMS Examples

Royal Coat of Arms of UK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_c oat_of_arms_of_the_United_Kingdom

Royal Coat of Arms of canada According to art historian Kenneth Clark, the lion represents ferocity and the unicorn represents lust, but who knows if Clark is correct to assert such an interpretation

(Kate) Middleton’s Coat of Arms http://www.officialroyalwedding2011. org/blog/2011/April/19/New-Coat- of-Arms-for-Miss-Middleton-and-her- family

Pope Benedict XVI http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/b enedict_xvi/elezione/stemma- benedict-xvi_en.html

THE MOST IMPORTANT NURSING QUALITY RESEARCH

Identify the quality of interest RESEARCHING Identify the quality of interest Test it by looking it up in the appropriate background sources, like a library catalogue and periodical indexes, as well as the internet

NOTE Too much information means careful work is needed to find the proper sources Too little info means even more careful examination of the source materials to determine if any is of value

Finding Background information I Look up keywords in encyclopaedias and dictionaries from the print and online reference collection Read the articles and note the bibliographical information of interest, which appears at the end of the articles— good starting point for the research

Finding Background information II Additional background information may be found in the lecture notes, textbooks, and reserve readings Do the same with books and media found in the library catalogue(s) and with articles found in periodical indexes INTERNET (a great lesson at UC Berkeley site: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Gui des/Internet/Evaluate.html)

Critically Analyzing Information Sources I Examine the bibliographical info, which has a written description of the material—the author, title, and publication information— and do an initial appraisal Check the credentials of the author(s)—has expertise on the subject, with whom s/he is affiliated and whether this affiliation poses a conflict of interest…

Critically Analyzing Information Sources II Check the date of the publication and edition for relevance Check the publisher information to see if it is scholarly (a university press does not guarantee quality, but is a good source) Note: a scholarly work will always have been peer-reviewed

CRITICAL ANALYSIS I Scan and read only parts of relevance Note who the audience is, and see if it is relevant to you Examine the content to see if information presented is fact, opinion (interpretation of facts) or “propaganda” Note if the information is well-researched and supported by evidence

CRITICAL ANALYSIS II If the writer deviates from what other experts in the field say, pay careful attention and read more critically Note whether the work updates other sources, corroborates other materials, or adds new information

NOTE Use the skills you have learned from doing the annotated bibliography and apply them to this exercise Finding the right symbol is important, but it is the nursing quality that you should be focused on

SOURCES Kurland, Dan (n.d.). What is Critical Thinking? Retrieved from http://www.criticalreading.com/critical_thinking.htm Olin Library Reference Research & Learning Services, Cornell University Library (n.d.). Critically Analyzing Information Sources. Retrieved from http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill26.htm Olin Library Reference Research & Learning Services, Cornell University Library (n.d.). Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Non-Scholarly Periodicals. Retrieved from http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill20.html Olin Library Reference Research & Learning Services, Cornell University Library (n.d.). Guide to Library Research at Cornell. Retrieved from http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/tutorial.html Olin Library Reference Research & Learning Services, Cornell University Library (n.d.). How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography. Retrieved from http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm Olin Library Reference Research & Learning Services, Cornell University Library (n.d.). The Seven Steps of the Research Process. Retrieved from http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill1.htm