MND T2 Session
This session covers the search process for your research project in the Master of Nutrition and Dietetics course.
Some useful links for systematised reviews and locating the full text of articles:
Generative AI Use in Research
AI can be a useful tool, but keep in mind its downsides:
- Summaries or text output produced are usually formulaic
- Text may match published work
- Summaries may not accurately represent the content of the articles
- Your input is used for ongoing training – even if it's private information or copyrighted works
- They have no discernment or human mind – remember that there is no underlying logic there
Above all, you should ensure that the tools you use are positively contributing to your learning and development, and that they are appropriate for the task.
Algorithmic or AI searching lacks the transparency and reproducibility to be systematic, and you should always be cautious with any summaries you generate with AI tools. However, they can get you started.
Two free tools:
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Semantic ScholarAI-powered multidisciplinary academic search engine. Search & filter options are basic but results can be sorted by citation count/influence as well as recency and relevance. Provides a TLDR that may help decide relevance. Use this like Google Scholar to find seed articles or establish scope before conducting a structured search.
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Research RabbitCitation-based literature mapping tool. Give it a seed article (one great example of what you're looking for) or two and it will recommend potentially similar articles and map your topic of interest. Use this like a citation database to help you see connections between different papers & see if you've missed anything.
If you use generative AI tools for your work, you must acknowledge which tools you used, and how you used them.
You should also check first to see if there are any rules or policies that prohibit or guide use of generative AI tools, especially in:
- work you plan to submit for a university task
- journal articles you plan to publish
- any work done for your job or professional placement
- private interactions with clients
Make sure you record how you use generative AI and what tools you used, so you can be transparent about its influence on your output.
Useful Books
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Communicating clearly about science and medicine : making data presentations as simple as possible-- but no simpler [e-version]
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ISBN: 9781409440383Publication Date: 2012 -
The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project
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ISBN: 9781529713473Publication Date: 4th ed. 2021 -
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Quantitative Methods for Health Research : a Practical Interactive Guide to Epidemiology and Statistics
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ISBN: 9781118665268Publication Date: 2nd ed. 2017 -
Research : successful approaches in nutrition and dietetics
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ISBN: 9780880919463Publication Date: 4th ed. 2019 -
Research methods in health : foundations for evidence-based practice
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ISBN: 9780195520064Publication Date: 2nd ed. 2013 -
Research techniques for the health sciences (5th ed.)
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Call Number: 610.72 NEUISBN: 9780321883445Publication Date: 2013 -
A Survival Guide for Health Research Methods [e-version]
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ISBN: 9780335244744Publication Date: 2012
Core Databases
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MEDLINE This link opens in a new windowAn international database indexing the biomedical literature and produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). MeSH (medical subject headings) is the National Library of Medicine's controlled vocabulary thesaurus, used in MEDLINE indexing.
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Embase This link opens in a new windowInternational biomedical and pharmacological database, indexing literature from 1947 to the present. Embase has a broad biomedical scope, with in-depth coverage of pharmacology, pharmaceutical science, and clinical research.
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CINAHL Ultimate This link opens in a new windowA core research database of Nursing and Allied Health information. Additional materials include Evidence-based Care Sheets, Quick Lessons and continuing Education Modules.
Evidence based practice databases
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Cochrane Library This link opens in a new windowA collection of databases that contain different types of high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making. Find Systematic Reviews, Clinical Trials, Method Studies and more.
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BMJ Best Practice This link opens in a new windowPoint of care reference database. A clinical decision support tool known for its breadth of disease coverage, editorial quality and evidence-based methodology.
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JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) This link opens in a new windowIncludes over 3,000 records across seven publication types: Evidence Based Recommended Practices, Evidence Summaries, Best Practice Information Sheets, Systematic Reviews, Consumer Information Sheets, Systematic Review Protocols, and Technical Reports.
Australian
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Health Collection This link opens in a new window
Covers Ageing and Aged Care, Child Health and Breastfeeding, Indigenous Health Issues, Mental Health and Rehabilitation.
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Informit This link opens in a new window
An extensive range of authoritative subject-based databases featuring coverage of Australian and international information resources. Including Health, Engineering, Business, Education, Law, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Databases may be searched individually, or collectively by subject groupings or across all databases.
Research databases
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Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Web of Science is a multidisciplinary abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature, and provides both author and journal metrics (performance analytics) of the literature indexed in the database. -
Scopus This link opens in a new window
A multidisciplinary abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature, and provides both author and journal metrics (performance analytics) of the literature indexed in the database.
PubMed
PubMed database is an internet version of Medline produced by the National Library of Medicine in the United States.
Open access articles are freely available in PubMed. To ensure that you also have access to journal articles available on subscription through ECU Library, link to PubMed via the Library.
PubMed search results will then also include a FindIt link to locate full text articles available via ECU.
What's the Difference Between MEDLINE and PubMed? Fact Sheet explains the additional features of PubMed.
PsycTests Databases
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PsycTESTS This link opens in a new windowPsycTESTS, produced by the American Psychological Association (APA), serves as a repository for a growing selection of psychological tests and measures. The database contains reviews of tests and some full text. Surveys useful for health sciences are also included.
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PsycTESTS - SurveysUse the drop down option under Instrument Type to limit to Survey.
SAGE Research Methods Online database
SAGE Research Methods Online (SRMO) database, provides a comprehensive online collection of books and reference materials on research methods (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods) across the social and behavioural sciences.
Included in the collection is the complete Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences "Little Green Books" series from SAGE.
Theses
ECU theses:
Theses are available online through ECU's Research Online respository and the Australasian Digital Theses (ADT) database.
Databases:
Proquest Dissertations & Theses full text: is the world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses. The official digital dissertations archive for the Library of Congress and the database of record for graduate research. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works.