This guide holds all the information you need to succeed with information-based research in university.
For this class, you'll need the following specific skills:
These links will direct you to the instructions and videos that will help you develop these skills.
Watch this video for an overview of how to search a database on the EBSCO platform, such as SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. This video searches CINAHL.
The page on finding different types of evidence gives more information about how to find primary vs secondary research, and what you can do with each.
Go to the Journals / Articles page to find SportDISCUS and MEDLINE, as well as other related databases.
The following table outlines some of the kinds of information that you'll need to find to complete your clinical exercise program assignment, and suggests an initial search string that you can try putting into SportDISCUS and MEDLINE.
Make sure you replace any italicised and highlighted text with words appropriate to your information needs.
| Goal information | Search string | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primary research articles on the condition | condition AND ("clinical trial" OR "controlled trial" OR RCT) | |
| Secondary research articles on the condition | condition AND ("systematic review*" OR "meta analysis" OR "meta synthesis") | Check the results and discussion sections for relevant primary research articles. Use the citations in the references section to locate selected articles. |
|
Effect of condition on exercise response / Effect of exercise training on condition |
condition AND (exercise OR training OR conditioning OR treatment OR intervention OR "physical activity" OR "physically active") |
The results will discuss the condition in relation to exercise or treatment, and it's up to you to sift through the articles to find ones that talk about the effect of exercise on the condition, vs the effect of the condition on exercise response. |
| Common medications for specific conditions | condition AND medication* | Skim through the article to find mentions of medications prescribed for the condition. |
| Interplay between medications and physical activity | medication AND ("side effect*" OR "adverse event*" OR contraindicat*) AND (exercis* OR activity) | Skim through the article to find mentions of any side effects or contraindications related to the medication and physical activity. |
A few notes:
Remember to check national and international organizations and associations for the health condition you're studying. These web pages can provide a lot of information related to treatment and best practices for living with the condition.
Doing a quick internet search for ( condition Canada ) should bring up the Canadian association's site.
Background information can be found in abstracts and introductions of research articles.
Land Acknowledgement
Trinity Western University's Langley campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Stó:lō people. We are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and learn on this land.
