Determining your Information Need

An important first step is determining your information need. Information needs in a nursing academic setting can be wide-ranging, from simply needing "information about" to answering a precise, well-thought out clinical question. Current literature on Evidence-Based Practice (see Weinfeld and Finkelstein, 2005) suggests classifying questions as either Background or Foreground questions. Classifying in this way can help you to determine what kind of sources you will need to access.

Information about :: Background questions Clinical research :: Foreground questions
Background questions ask for general knowledge of disease processes or clinical contexts; they ask "who, what, when, why, where or how" about a single disease, drug, intervention or concept. Secondary sources such as textbooks, nursing reference sources and review articles can provide relevant and reliable answers quickly. Foreground questions ask for specific knowledge one can apply to a specific patient or problem. They often compare two things: two drugs or treatments, the prognosis of two groups, two diagnostic tests, or the harms or benefits of two approaches. They often require primary sources that synthesize a wide range of knowledge, and are more difficult to answer than background questions. Foreground questions are typically clinical questions that require evidence-based answers. Use the PICOT format to develop these.

EXAMPLES

  • I need to find current information about the drug Warfarin.
  • I need to access clinical care guidelines for nursing care of patients with splenic trauma.
  • How do I find books on geriatric nursing care?
  • I need to consult a textbook on pediatric nursing care.
  • I need patient education materials on management of celiac disease.
  • I am writing a 5-page paper on the current nursing shortage.
  • What causes migraines?
  • How often should a woman over the age of 40 have a mammogram?

EXAMPLES

  • Handwashing helps to prevent the spread of nosocomial infections.  Is the use of soap and water or alcohol-based rubs more effective in preventing these infections?
  • Hip fracture is common in elderly patients after falling. I have an elderly patient who exhibits an unsteady gait. Would a hip protector be a useful preventative measure for this patient?
  • The physician prescribes warfarin to control an elderly patient's atrial fibrillation. What is the major risk associated with the drug? Should dosage level be a concern in the elderly population?
  • In middle aged women with migraine headaches, is there any evidence that acupuncture compared to sham treatment, biofeedback, relaxation training, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, reduces the frequency, intensity, and/or duration of migraines?
  • In children with cancer, what are the current treatments in the management of fever or infection?

Use SECONDARY Sources

Background questions usually require use of secondary sources, such as reference books, monographs, and articles presenting a summary of current knowledge about a topic provide excellent background information on a topic.

Use PRIMARY Sources

Foreground questions require primary sources, such as scholarly journal articles accessed through databases such as CINAHL and Medline. Scholarly research articles published in peer-reviewed journals provide the evidence in Evidence-Based Nursing Practice.

LEARN about SECONDARY Sources

LEARN about PRIMARY Sources

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