The research portion of this project is your opportunity to learn all you can about your topic. Your "big picture" goal is to gather information about why and how to perform your assigned radiographic procedure so that you can convey accurate information through your writing and presentation. To do that, you will need to search in variety of resources, keep track of the information sources you find, and synthesize that information in a way that makes sense to you and to others. It's super important to understand a topic before you can write about it!
The resources on this page are Ellen's best recommendation for how to approach the research portion of your work. Please know that they are not the only good resources out there, and different topics may require slightly different approaches. Please reach out if you want some help!
Ellen's 8-minute overview of some recommended resources and research strategies for this project. This video pretty much covers the same information as the written content on this page, so you can pick the learning style that works best for you.
Start with your textbook. Read all the relevant sections carefully.
Set up a notetaking system for your project and take notes.
Next, start looking for credible resources on your topic. Use databases to look for scholarly articles, journals, and academic research. Professional websites may provide you with practice guidelines, case studies, or other helpful resources. You may also conduct an interview or draw on resources from your clinical site.
Databases are organized collections of academic journals, scholarly articles, magazines, and other types of content. They have filters and search features to help you find what you need.
Note: You will need to log in to these resources using your MyWestern login info. The login screen looks like this:
Want to look deeper on your own? Browse our full list of library databases for yourself:
It's important to be searching for high quality information and to evaluate everything you find. It's also important to start distinguishing information that a patient would find useful and information that a professional would want to access. The websites below offer some high quality information resources that may help you locate information for your paper or presentation.
Use the search box on the websites to look for your topic. You may find practice guidelines or other helpful resources. Note that not all resources on these websites are freely available, but sometimes you can find some that are.
These images will be included in your paper, your presentation, or both. They can also be great for helping you understand the procedure.
You can also use the databases linked above to search for images. Some of the articles you found already may also have high quality images you can use.
Note: You can use resources for your "minimum of 3 reliable outside sources in addition to your textbook" that are not included on this research guide. However, the resources linked in this section are vetted and credible, and will (hopefully) get you to what you need quickly.
Every topic and tool is a little different, so if you're having trouble, or want a more personalized recommendation, please reach out! You can also ask your instructor for suggestions and ideas.
You can contact Ellen using the chat widgets in this guide or email me at rangee@westerntc.edu.