Improve your research by working smarter. This specialized research guide brings together key nursing resources that will help you find scholarly journal articles, locate books, link to key web resources, and cite your sources.  

Research Paper Timeline/Checklist

For

Nursing and Allied Health

Begin with your course syllabus. Estimate the time you can spend each week on this paper. Plan for library research time, interlibrary loan and document delivery of research articles, and time for writing and revising. Work backward to be sure your paper is ready on time.

Average Timeline

________Date paper is due

________2 weeks for editing/proofing

________2-3 weeks for writing

________2-3 weeks for ILL and document delivery

________2 weeks for library/Internet research

________2 weeks for topic selection/approval

________Date you should start your paper

Planning your timeline and systematically researching your topic will give you a head start with your paper. Not all papers require extensive research, so select a research strategy that makes sense for each assignment. Use the checklist ahead of time to identify what research tools you want to use, and use it as you work along to make sure you don’t forget something important.

Research Checklist

________1. Topic identification/background (medical or nursing dictionary or encyclopedia,  textbook, etc.)

________2. Journal articles (use journal indexes such as CINAHL, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Health Source/Nursing Edition, PsycINFO)

________3. Book resources (search Feinberg Library's online catalog and booksellers like Amazon)

________4. Internet resources (use an internet search engine or links identified in this guide)

 ________5.  Local resources (hospital libraries, health agencies, social service agencies, local chapters of American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, caregiver support groups, Red Cross…)