Original Article: Provides new information based on original research, and presents a research topic, its background, methodology used, results, conclusion and discussion of results. These usually appear in scholarly journals.
Bikker, A. P., Fitzpatrick, B., Murphy, D., Forster, L., & Mercer, S. W. (2017). Assessing the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure in sexual health nurses' consultations. BMC Nursing, 16(71). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-017-0265-8
Systematic review: a synthesis of research studies on a given topic. The studies included in a systematic review are selected through pre-established criteria such as hypothesis or research question, patient/ populations, study design, and methodology. Systematic reviews are used to provide an objective assessment of primary research evidence on a given topic, and are frequently used in evidence-based practice (EBP).
Hutchinson, M. & Jackson, M. (2013). Hostile clinician behaviours in the nursing work environment and implications for patient care: a mixed-methods systematic review. BMC Nursing, 12(25). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6955-12-25
Protocol (for Systematic Reviews): a document that describes and outlines the processes that will be undertaken while conducting a systematic review before it is conducted. The purposes of protocols are:
Example:
​Lachance, C. C., Jurkowski, M. P., Dymarz, A. C., & Mackey, D. C. (2016). Compliant flooring to prevent fall-related injuries: A scoping review protocol. BMJ Open, 6(3):e011757. DOI: 10.1136/mbjopen-2016-011757.
Meta-analysis: a study that combines the statistical data of multiple studies based on pre-established criteria. This is done in order to increase the power over an individual study, improve estimates of the size of an intervention or effect, or attempt to resolve uncertainty when the outcomes of multiple studies are not consistent. The information drawn from a meta-analysis is often utilized in evidence-based practice (EBP).
Bidwell, J.T., Lyons, K.S., & Lee, C.S. (2017). Caregiver well-being and patient outcomes in heart failure: A meta-analysis. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 32(4): 372-382. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27617564
Dissertation: a document on a scholarly or research topic done by a student to fulfill the requirements of attaining an advanced degree (usually masters or doctoral-level). Scholars often use these to examine their works cited. See Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global for examples (FAU log-in required).
Tripathi, S. (2010). Knowledge based evaluation of nursing care practice model (master's thesis). Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL.
Book: an authoritative work on a topic within a field; often presents basic information and theories which are the results of previous research.
Leffers, J., Smith, C. M., Huffling, K. Mc-Dermott-Levy, R., & Sattler, B. (2016). Environmental health in nursing. Mount Rainer, MD: Alliance for Healthy Environments. Retrieved from https://envirn.org/e-textbook/
Conference paper or proceeding: a paper presented at a conference, meeting, or symposium of a professional, scholarly organization. Many researchers use conferences to solicit feedback on their work from others within their field, and then use the feedback for updates, refinements, or considerations for their research topic.
Tan, A. J. Q., Lau, C. C. S., & Liaw, S. Y. (2017). Serious games in nursing education: An integrative review. Paper presented at 9th International Conference on Virtual Worlds and Games for Serious Applications (VS-Games), Athens, Greece (187-188). DOI: 10.1109/VS-GAMES.2017.8056599
Government document: a publication or report of a government agency of any level. These publications may include research, committee or agency reports, statutes and laws, regulations, and data.
Nurse Practice Act. FLA. STAT § 464.001-464.027 (2017). Retrieved from http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0464/0464.html​
Standard: a set of guidelines established to define an expected level of quality and criteria of care provided within a healthcare setting. In nursing, standards are created to define fixed or strong statements of norms within a given area of practice, and are established by professional nursing organizations.
The following example of a summary of a standard:
American Association of Critical-Care Nursing (2016). AACN standards for establishing and sustaining work environments: A journey to excellence (2nd. Ed.) Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/nursing-excellence/standards/aacn-standards-for-establishing-and-sustaining-healthy-work-environments
Guideline: a recommendation of good practice often based on research or professional experience. A guideline provides suggestions that are flexibly interpreted and utilized within a given context.
American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (2018). Pain and comfort clinical guideline. Retrieved from http://www.aspan.org/Clinical-Practice/Clinical-Guidelines/Pain-and-Comfort
Trade journal article: practical information, news, or summaries of developments within a field. Trade journals generally are not considered scholarly or do not focus on publishing original research.
See an example below.
Austin, S. (2018, February 20). Public health nurses are rooting out reasons disparities occur. John Hopkins Nursing. Retrieved from http://magazine.nursing.jhu.edu/2018/02/public-health-nurses-rooting-reasons-disparities-endure/
A reference work is a collection of general facts within a field. These can be used to find standards, measurements, or the general background of a theory. Many types of reference works exist, but these three are ones commonly used in nursing.
Gray literature (also known as grey literature) generally consists of publications that are not distributed through scholarly or commercial channels such as professional journals. Types of gray literature include trade reports, government publications, conference proceedings, and company research. Some definitions of gray literature include publications such as blogs, statistical reports, white papers, and working papers.
The purpose of gray literature varies and depends on the setting in which it is published and distributed. In corporations or organizations, gray literature may be used to distribute new information, communicate for internal purposes, or to document activities. One example is Healthy Aging Begins at Home, a grant-funded task force report by Bipartisan Policy Center. For academic contexts, gray literature may be a forum for presenting ideas that may be emerging or do not yet have wide interest.
Gray literature may be considered in any literature review in order have a broader view of what is discussed and researched on a particular topic.
The following document types are often retrieved in a database search. Although they are not articles that directly communicate original research, their role is to provide an arena for commentary and discussion. Select the links for examples:
Scholarly or professional literature is literally a world of sources and publications! The literature consists of many types of publications, and can also be in various formats such as print, online, or multimedia. It is commonly found in an index and database search, and its information is used to communicate and inform nursing research and practice.
The FAU College of Nursing emphasizes using the following types of literature for their assignments: primary or original research, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. However, students will frequently encounter other sources during their literature search. See below for examples and explanations.
Professional literature falls under 3 categories:
| Definitions | Attributes | Types of Publications | Examples | |
| Primary Literature | Direct documentation or interaction with an event or occurrence. |
Results of original research; Peer reviewed |
|
Chow, S.K.Y, Lam, K., Lie, S., Mak, K., Mong, K., So, C., & Yuen, W. (2018). Do demographic factors and a health-promoting lifestyle influence the self-rated health of college nursing students? BMC Nursing, 17(50). DOI: 10.1186/s12912-018-0322-y |
| Secondary Literature | Based on an indirect interaction with an event or information. | Summarizes, uses, discusses, or comments on information from primary sources. |
|
Frederiksen, L., & Phelps, S. (2017). Literature reviews for education and nursing graduate students. Vancouver, WA: Washington State University. Retrieved from https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/literature-reviews-for-education-and-nursing-graduate-students |
| Tertiary Literature | Also indirect interaction with an event or information. | Utilizes and distils information from both primary and secondary sources. |
|
University of California at Santa Cruz (2018). Student Health Center manuals. Retrieved from http://shs-manual.ucsc.edu/document/nursing-manual |
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