Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT): Research Starter

This search box exclusively locates eBooks and eJournals. For print books, utilize ACHE Discovery Search instead.

Find the best library databases/resources for your research.

Explore your library's journals with Browzine. 

What is Browzine Journals? 

BrowZine is a simple tool that can help you quickly access scholarly journal articles from 2005 to the present. It can also connect with our publication holdings in Publication Finder, even if the title is not available. BrowZine has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to read articles on any device. If you are unsure what you are looking for or want to find scholarly journals related to your interests, you can browse for journals using BrowZine. You can select any of the subjects to view a complete list of all available scholarly journals on that subject.

What is a Digital Object Identifier (DOI)?

A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a unique identifier assigned to articles on publisher websites. Its purpose is to ensure that the content can be easily found and accessed, even if web addresses change. It acts as a reliable and consistent tag that facilitates the location and referencing of online resources. DOIs are widely used in academic and professional settings as they provide a stable link to scholarly articles and other digital content..

Example:

• 10.1186/s12898-019-0263-7 or https://doi.org/10.1186/s12898-019-0263-7 

What is a PubMed Identifier (PMID)?

A PubMed Identifier, also known as a PMID, is a unique number assigned to an article in the PubMed database, a popular resource for biomedical and life sciences literature. This number acts like a digital fingerprint, making it easy for researchers, students, and healthcare professionals to identify and locate a particular article. The PMID is a useful tool for quickly referencing a specific study or paper in the vast amount of medical literature available on PubMed.

Examples:

• PMID: 25435309  
• PMID: 30302018  

Advantages of searching Google Scholar

Google Scholar is a powerful search engine that provides researchers and students with access to scientific literature. It is useful for finding known publications or conducting fast searches on specific topics. However, its effectiveness is limited when attempting to comprehensively understand the literature on a particular subject, such as during thesis or literature review projects. This limitation is due to Google Scholar's restricted ability to combine multiple search terms using Boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT.

Disadvantages of searching Google Scholar

While Google Scholar is a valuable research tool, it has limitations. One disadvantage of using Google Scholar is that it may not always provide the most comprehensive results. Google Scholar's coverage of scholarly literature is not as extensive as other databases, and it may not include all the relevant articles on a particular topic. Additionally, the quality of the results can vary, and some articles may not be peer-reviewed or may not be from reputable sources. Predatory publishers dwell within Google Scholar. It is important to carefully evaluate the sources of information found on Google Scholar to ensure their quality and reliability.

PubMed is a comprehensive online database that contains a vast amount of health-related information and research papers. It is a colossal library of knowledge on various medical topics, including health, diseases, treatments, and more. PubMed is an essential resource for doctors, researchers, and anyone interested in keeping abreast of the latest medical findings. PubMed offers a dependable source of information that provides current and reliable health and medical research data. It's important to note that PubMed and MEDLINE are two distinct databases.

PubMed User Guide

What is an annotated bibliography?

A bibliography is a list of sources about a topic. An annotated bibliography adds a summary for each source, helping readers decide its usefulness. Abstracts summarize articles, while annotations also evaluate the author's viewpoint and authority.

Elements of an Annotation

Annotations are short descriptions of sources that inform readers about their quality and relevance. They usually contain a summary of the article, including the author's name and main point. They also describe who the intended audience is and how the article contributes to your topic. Annotations evaluate the source's usefulness, reliability, strengths, weaknesses, and value for your research. Additionally, they may discuss how the article relates to others in your bibliography.

Sample elements of a critical annotated bibliography. See also the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed. (2019) for sample elements, p. 308 Figure 9.3. 

Source: Hesburgh Libraries

Preparing an Annotated Bibliography (OWL at Purdue)

Start your research journey by carefully analyzing the bibliographic citation of any source, be it a book or an article. This initial step involves scrutinizing crucial details such as the publisher's name, publication date, presence of an index and bibliography, and the affiliations of the author. By conducting this thorough examination, you're equipped to make informed judgments about the reliability and credibility of the source. It's your gateway to ensuring the quality and trustworthiness of the information you're relying on for your research.

APTA members have unlimited access to the resources on the APTA website, which includes content previously housed at PTNow.

Please utilize the APTA Article Search for Physical Therapy specific articles. This is your gateway to a wealth of valuable research and articles tailored for APTA members. Explore full-text access to a vast array of clinical and academic publications from over 5,000 sources through the EBSCO Discovery Service.

• About OrcID - Grants & Funding

• Guide on Grants & Funding

• Research Funding Sources

  American Occupational Therapy Foundation lists these government and non-government links as a service to the occupational therapy community. This list is not meant to be all inclusive; updates and additional resources are welcomed and should be sent to research@aotf.org.

What is a literature review? 

A literature review is a thorough investigation of all the published writings on a particular topic or question. It's not just about summarizing these writings but also analyzing them closely. It helps to understand how these writings connect to your research question and provide background information. 

A literature review is NOT...

A literature review is more than just summarizing articles you've read. It's not like making a list with summaries. Instead, it's about deeply analyzing those articles and how they relate to your research question. Also, it's not about picking articles that only support your viewpoint. You should explore all sides of the topic to avoid bias and show where there's agreement or disagreement among researchers.

Why is a literature review important?

A literature review is vital because it:

1. Tells the history of research on a topic.
2. Shows why a topic is important.
3. Guides your research questions.
4. Finds connections between studies.
5. Uncovers new ideas or groups.
6. Highlights key themes, ideas, and researchers.
7. Challenges assumptions and biases.
8. Pinpoints gaps or problems in studies.
9. Suggest where research can go next.

Conducting a literature review takes time, planning, and searching. 

Contact your Library Liaison with any questions about conducting a literature review.