28 Feb What issues do you see in the social work field?on the job, or through articles you have read? What is one problem you would like to address as a social worker? That problem could be related t

LIBRARY SEARCHING I

A research topic can come from many different sources. For some social workers, it starts with a nagging question or obsession that just won’t leave them. For others, it is a noticeable gap in the social work knowledge base, which they discover through immersing themselves in the literature. For still others, it is a practice problem they have encountered that doesn’t seem to have a clear answer. What issues do you see in the social work field—on the job, or through articles you have read? What is one problem you would like to address as a social worker? That problem could be related to gaps in services, diverse populations in need, or an ongoing human challenge such as addiction or trauma.

In this Assignment, you begin thinking about your own “nagging question” while also gaining experience searching in the Walden Library databases. Additionally, you have the opportunity to practice APA Style by referencing the research articles you find in the Library

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources. 

WEEKLY RESOURCES

TO PREPARE:

· Review the Learning Resources on searching for and reading research articles.

· Complete the APA Style interactive media.

· Reflect on topics you are curious or excited to learn about related to your social work interests. Consider what brought you to social work and what you want to know. Review the current issues and trends you have read about and studied in other courses. Select one of the topics you generate as a potential research focus.

· Conduct a search in the Walden Library databases for peer-reviewed research articles related to your research focus that have been published within the past 5 years. Use the resources for help determining what makes a good search topic and keywords.

· Download the Search Worksheet in the Learning Resources for additional support in your library searching. Note that you do not need to submit this worksheet. 

BY DAY 7

Submit a document in which you record:

· Your potential research topic

· Search terms you used to search for peer-reviewed research articles in the Walden Library

· APA references for three peer-reviewed research articles from your search and a brief explanation of how each article relates to your topic

Note that your Instructor will provide feedback on your use of APA Style this week so that you may apply that feedback for next week.

For next week’s Assignment, you will continue to search for more articles  for a total of six peer-reviewed research articles on your topic.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Before submitting your final assignment, you can check your draft for authenticity. To check your draft, access the  Turnitin Drafts from the  Start Here area. 

1. To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as  WK2Assgn+LastName+Firstinitial

2. Then, click on  Start Assignment near the top of the page.

3. Next, click on  Upload File and select  Submit Assignment for review.

REFERENCES

Peer-Reviewed Research

· Kelly, J., Sadeghieh, T., & Adeli, K. (2014). Peer review in scientific publications: Benefits, critiques, & a survival guide.  EJIFCC, 25(3), 227–243. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4975196/

· Read “What Is Peer Review and What Is Its Purpose?” and “Impact of the Peer Review Process.”

· Walden University Library. (n.d.).  Verify peer review Links to an external site. . https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/verifypeerreview

Example Peer-Reviewed Research Article:

· Holder, C. L., Perez-Gilbe, H. R., Fajardo, F. J., Garcia, S., & Cyrus, E. (2019).  Disparities of HIV risk and PrEP use among transgender women of color in South FloridaLinks to an external site. .  Journal of the National Medical Association, 111(6), 625–632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2019.08.001

Examples of Other Writing on a Similar Topic:

· Editorial:  Reyes, R. A. (2015).  Transgender Latinos fight for equality Links to an external site. . NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/transgender-latinos-fight-equality-n420316.

· Blog: UnidosUS. (2014, October 7).  Report sheds light on struggles of Latino transgender community Links to an external site. . https://blog.unidosus.org/2014/10/7/report-sheds-light-struggles-latino-transgender-community

· Website:  League of United Latin American Citizens. (n.d.).  Latino transgender discrimination preventionLinks to an external site. . https://lulac.org/programs/latino_transgender_discrimination_prevention

Searching for and Reading Research Articles

· Walden University Library. (n.d.).  Subject research: Social workLinks to an external site. . https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/subject/socialwork

· Wentworth, H. (2020, June 29).  Reading a research article assigned as courseworkLinks to an external site. . The Savvy Student. https://waldenacademicskills.wordpress.com/2020/06/29/reading-a-research-article-assigned-as-coursework/

· Document:  Search Worksheet  Download Search Worksheet (Word document)

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Search Worksheet: Developing Key Search Terms/Phrases

Use this worksheet to brainstorm search terms related to your social work topic and population of interest. Then enter these search terms in the Walden Library databases to gather relevant peer-reviewed research articles for your Assignment. In each row, include information pertinent to your topic and population.

Statement of the Problem, Gap, or Topic of Interest in Studying: Example: Lack of knowledge of how older fathers provide care for ID/DD adult children	Population Proposed to Study: Example: Older father caregivers of ID/DD adult children
Row 1: Concepts From Research Topic and Population	Identify three terms, words, or phrases that are related to the problem, gap, or topic of interest. Example: Caregiver, nurturer, caretaker	Identify three terms, words, or phrases that are related to the population you wish to study. Example: Aging parents, aging father, elderly father
Row 2: Synonyms	Identify three synonyms (alternative search words) that are related to the problem, gap, or topic of interest. Example: Carer, guardian, parenting	Identify three synonyms (alternative search words) that are related to the population you wish to study. Example: Older father, older parents, guardians
Row 3: Combined Search (Boolean or Advanced Search Terms)	Identify three advanced search terms, words, or phrases combined with the population to develop alternative searches to further refine your search. Example: (Caregiving AND older parents) (Caregiver OR Nurturer AND older fathers)

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