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Dental Hygiene Overview: Types of Sources

This research guide is designed to help you with researching dental topics.

Primary Research Sources

Description

  • Original Research: new research on a topic based on a new experiment
  • Articles in scholarly journals

Types of Evidence-Based Primary Sources

  • Studies: a cohort study,
  •  case-control study,
  • Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), clinical trial

Format

  • Abstract/introduction/background: overview of the study
  • Methodology/materials/methods: how the study was done, a description of the participants
  • Results: charts, tables, statistics
  • Conclusion/discussion/significance: what did they find from the study?
  • Did they prove anything?

References: a long list of references

Identifiers

  • “Original research” may appear at the top of the first page of the article.
  • The title may have "study" or "trial" in it.
  • The abstract/introduction/background will describe the study or trial and may mention these two words.

Finding these sources
Research Tools

  • CINAHL Complete
  • PubMed

Secondary Research Sources

Description

  • A summary or analysis of research done by others that provide information about the topic will include a summary of studies done by other researchers.

Types of sources

  • Evidence-Based Secondary Sources
    • Systematic Reviews
    • Meta-Analysis
    • Clinical Analysis or Clinical Guidelines
    • Literature Review
    • Review
  • Not Evidence – Based Secondary Sources
    • General article from a magazine or journal
    • Information from books
    • Information from reliable websites: organization, health facility, corporation
    • Pamphlet, newsletter, fact sheet, Report

Format
All reviews (Systematic Reviews, Meta-Analysis, Literature Review, Rapid Review)

  • Abstract/introduction/background: overview of the review
    • Methodology/materials/methods: how was the review done
    • Results: charts, tables, statistics
    • Conclusion/discussion/significance: what did they find from the analysis or review? did they prove anything?
    • References: a long list of references
  • All other types
    • Do not have a standard format.

Identifiers

Evidence-Based Sources

  • “Review article” may appear at the top of the first page of the article.
  • The title may have review in it.
  • The abstract/introduction/background will describe what was reviewed, such as trials or studies

Not Evidence-Based Sources

  • General articles