InfoGuides: Occupational Therapy Assistant: Research Resources

OTA Research, part 1: Concepts

Evidence-Based Practice

One of the earliest and certainly the most influential definitions of evidence-based practice (EBP) is by Sackett et al. (1996): 'Evidence-based medicine is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients.' The focus of this definition is clearly on the use of research to inform decision-makers and enhance their decision-making capabilities. The decision-makers appear here to be the clinicians, those responsible for the care of individual patients, and indeed the experience and judgement of clinicians is an integral part of the process. However, an unrepresented group in this definition are patients, users or clients and it is essential that their subjective values, preferences, beliefs and opinions are incorporated into the decision-making process.

Evidence-Based Practice
Read the full article in the CPCC Library's Credo Reference database. Link opens in new window.

Scholarly/Peer Reviewed Articles

Understanding Scholarly Sources: Overview Video
A short video offering a brief overview of scholarly sources. Link opens in new window.
Anatomy of a Scholarly Article
Presented here are the first and last pages of a scholarly article. Click on the highlighted areas of the article to learn about clues to look for when identifying scholarly sources.
How to Read a Scholarly Article
A brief video tutorial describing how to read a scholarly article.
Understanding Scholarly Sources: A Comparative Guide
When conducting research it is important to distinguish between journal articles and magazine articles. Journal articles are typically referred to as "scholarly," while magazine articles are usually considered "popular." A third category, "trade" magazines or journals, are written for professionals in a particular field but are not strictly research related. Here are additional criteria to consider when differentiating between journals and magazines. Link opens in new window.
Peer Review in 3 Minutes
How do articles get peer reviewed? What role does peer review play in scholarly research and publication? This video will explain. Link opens in new window.

OTA Research, part 2: Evaluating Sources

The CRAAP Test

Did you find something you think you can use? Evaluate first!

C – Currency: When was this information written or last updated? Is it outdated?
R – Relevance: Does this help your topic? Is it an appropriate level?
A – Authority: Who wrote it? What are their qualifications?
A – Accuracy: Is it supported by evidence? Any typos or other errors?
P – Purpose: Is it trying to inform, sell, persuade, or entertain? Is the info fact, opinion, or propaganda? Why is the information here?

If your source doesn't pass the CRAAP Test, then consider finding something better! Need help? Ask a librarian!

Evaluating Sources for Credibility
What does it mean for a source to be credible? Why is it important to use these sources? How can you tell if a source is credible? Brought to you by NCSU Libraries. Link opens in a new window.

OTA Research, part 3: Finding Sources

Library Research Databases

CINAHL Plus with Full Text
Premier database of nursing and allied health journals with additional materials that include nursing dissertations, conference proceedings, evidence-based care sheets, audiovisuals,and continuing education modules.
Nursing & Allied Health Database
This database provides over 250 full text journals, evidence based resources, and dissertations to support the study of the many aspects of nursing or the allied health professions, including physical therapy, radiography, dietetics, dental hygiene, and the clinical laboratory sciences.
ProQuest Central
General reference database for over 175 subjects from magazines, journals and newspapers, including peer-reviewed and scholarly works.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy
Full access to the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
All Allied Health Databases
Find Library databases related to Allied Health and Nursing. You can also link to other subjects such as Psychology and Sociology.

Research from the Open Web

PubMed
Provides access to over 11 million citations from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. Includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources.

PubMed Tutorials
YouTube playlist of tutorials on PubMed from the NCBI. Link opens in new window.
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
The AOTA is the national professional association established in 1917 to represent the interests and concerns of occupational therapy practitioners and students of occupational therapy and to improve the quality of occupational therapy services.
CPCC Interlibrary Loan
Books or articles may be requested and borrowed from non-CPCC libraries using this service. Remember, CPCC doesn't have access to everything - you may find a promising-looking article via Google Scholar or PubMed but may not have full-text access. If so, request it here. This link opens in a new window

Videos

Anatomy.TV
Anatomy.TV works best in the following browsers: Chrome, Firefox and Safari.
Anatomy.TV features an interactive 3D skeleton with bones, ligaments, muscles and vessels, including a collection of interactive 3D animations.
CPCC has access to the following areas of Anatomy.TV: functional anatomy, hand therapy, sports injuries, thorax, dental hygiene, and cardiovascular system.
Films on Demand
A streaming video service that covers a broad range of academic and career related subjects.

OTA Research, part 4: Citing Sources

Giving credit where you find your information is an essential part of the research process and APA is the style by which OTA students have to demonstrate that.

Additional Help

Occupational Therapy Assistant

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OTA 140 Signature Assignment Materials

Cite Your Research!