Evidence Based Literature Review

Gather Your Evidence-Based Literature Sources
This week, you will gather the first batch of literature to support your review of the evidence base, also known as the research or the literature. You will gather at least eight sources directly related to various aspects of your topic. Then you will evaluate them using the TRAAP Method.
You will answer all of the questions about each of your sources to ensure they are credible. Your sources should be broken down as follows:
• At least four recent and highly credible peer-reviewed articles directly related to the topic;
• At least two current government or healthcare organization resources (report, white paper, government brief, etc.)
• At least two national in-depth current and credible news articles that show how your chosen issue is being portrayed to the public. If your issue is sufficiently localized, you may select a regional news source.
(Note: these are minimum required numbers. You may need to find additional sources to fill out your review.)
The Excelsior Library has an excellent selection of health-related refereed journals. This should be your starting place for your literature review. You can also search the library’s list of health sciences professional associations to find associations and government organizations for trending information on your topic.
It is possible that you may find a source that does not meet the standards set by the TRAAP. If you find one that does not meet all of the TRAAP criteria, please share your decision of whether you will include it as part of your evidence for your white paper and why.
Additional Assignment Parameters:
• You may submit your evaluation of your sources in a table, in bulleted form, or in paragraph form.
• Be sure that you are covering every element of TRAAP, for all eight resources.
• Include an APA formatted reference section at the end
The TRAAP Method: Evaluating Sources
Timeframe – the currency or historical importance of the information
• When was the information published or last updated? When was the data gathered?
• How quickly does information in this field become obsolete (the arts and humanities vs. technology and medicine)?
• Would historical documents or primary sources support your research? Relevance – the depth of the source and how well it matches your topic
• How detailed is the information? Is it too basic or too advanced for your needs?
• How is the source connected to your topic? Does it cover all aspects of your topic (health care costs among low-income households vs. health care costs in general) or help answer an important question?
Authority – the author’s expertise and the publication’s review process
• What can you learn about the author in the source itself or through a search?
Do they have a degree related to the topic? Are they drawing from personal experience?
• Was the information reviewed by an editor or through peer review? Was it self-published or posted on a personal website?
Accuracy – the reliability and correctness of the information
• Where is the information coming from? Does the author cite or link to reliable sources?
• Is the evidence backed up by data? For original research, does the author explain the methods used to produce the results?
• Does the information presented agree with other sources on the topic?
Purpose – the reason the information was created
• Why was the source created (to inform, teach, advocate, sell, or entertain)?
• What underlying motive or bias (political, ideological, cultural, religious, etc.) might the author bring to this information?
• Who is the intended audience? Is it designed for general readers or academic readers?