CHLS 470 I research guide.

1. Finding Sources:
Annotated Bibliography & Research
Proposal
CHLS 470
LATINXS AND HEALTH
Susan Luévano
Ethnic Studies Librarian
susan.luevano@csulb.edu

2. Research Process
Create a research statement
Childhood obesity among Mexican Americans
is a major health crisis.
Define the questions
◦ Ask why????

3. Research Process
What research question(s) should be addressed ?
Childhood obesity among Mexican
Americans is a major health crisis.

4. Having trouble creating
research questions?
Use prompts
◦ Who
◦ What
◦ Where
◦ Why
◦ How
How do you define “obesity”?
What are the % of Mex American children who are obese?
What are the causes?
What there successful interventions/programs to combat
childhood obesity?

5. Research Process
Using the right vocabulary is the key to successful research
Identify key concepts using most unique words
Less is more
Childhood obesity among Mexican Americans is a
major health crisis.

6. Research Process
Vocabulary Matters
◦Popular v Scholarly (Medical)
◦Childhood obesity
◦Pediatric obesity
◦Latino or Hispanic or Latinx
◦Use specific ethnic group
◦Mexican American
◦Puerto Rican
◦Salvadoran American

7. Computer Commands
Boolean Operators
AND narrows a search
◦ both variables must appear in same citation
◦ terms are different in meaning
◦ example: “Diabetes AND Hispanics”
OR broadens a search
◦ terms are similar in meaning
◦ either term may appear in the record
◦ example: “Latinos OR Hispanics”

8. Computer Commands
Truncation
Searches root word to retrieve variant endings
Command: Asterisk (shift 8)
Obes*
Obese
Obesity
Obeso
Obesidad

9. Computer
Commands
Adjacency
Searches word next to each other in order listed
Command: quotation marks “xx”
◦ “childhood obesity”
◦ “comprehensive health reform*”
◦ “people of color”
◦ “socioeconomic factor*”
◦ “food desert”

10. Start with Advanced
Search

11. Sign-In for full functionality

12. Finding Scholarly Peer Reviewed Journal
Articles

13. 1. Search by title alphabetically , i.e.
CINAHL
2. Type topic into search box.

14. Finding Databases on your topic:
3. Select topic from pull-down menu

15. PubMed @CSULB
• Largest bio-medical database in the world
• Includes pre-publication & Medline data
• Free version
• Key word & MeSH searching options
• 1940 -

16. Medline (Ovid)
◦ The National Library of Medicine’s international, biomedicine & health
journal database covering all areas of medicine, including dentistry, nursing,
veterinary medicine, the health care system, preclinical sciences.
◦ OVID Mostly journals
◦ 1951 to present
◦ Availability

17. Medline (Web of Science)

18. CINAHL Plus with Full-Text
An authoritative resource for the nursing, health administration, and
allied health literature – journals, books, pamphlets, audiovisuals,
software, research instruments, dissertations, etc
1982 to present
Availability

19. PsychInfo
1,300 journals in all areas of psychology. Also includes references to
dissertations, media, and books.
1,300 journals
Abstracts
Availability

20. Academic Search
Complete
General subject database containing indexing and abstracts for over
5,400 journals & 4,400 peer reviewed journals
1985 to present
Mostly full-text
Availability

21. Full-text not provided:
Use Get it @ CSULB

22. Sign-in to request items
NOT available: Use BeachReach

23. Request via
BeachReach

26. Search Strategy Tips
◦ Start with:
◦ Keywords that describe your topic
◦ Move to:
◦ Specific headings that might better define your topic.
Most databases have a subject thesaurus or controlled
vocabulary (like MeSH for MEDLINE &
PubMed@CSULB).

27. Search Strategy Tips
What to do if you get too much?
Limit options, e.g. age, geography, ethnicity, gender
Field searching, e.g. subject headings, date, language
Combine searches or add more concepts
What to do if you get too few?
Eliminate concepts/use broader topic
Related articles (PubMed, Get it @CSULB)
Cited references

28. Still need a little help?
Ask at the Research & Information Desk, 1st
floor
Use the “Ask a CSULB Librarian”
◦Chat service
Susan Luévano
Susan.luevano@csulb.edu

29. Still need a little help?
Ask at the Research & Information Desk, 1st
floor
Use the “Ask a CSULB Librarian”
◦Chat service
Research Guides (Library home page)
◦Chicano & Latino Studies 470
◦http://csulb.libguides.com/chls470
◦Health Administration
◦Health Science
Set up a research consultations with
◦Susan.luevano@csulb.edu

30. Questions?