Here are some questions to keep in mind when selecting an article to present:
- Is the article from a credible journal? This is critical if you used Google to find the article.
- Is the article from a journal in your field and written by someone in your field, e.g., in a nursing journal written by a nurse?
- What type of study is it and what is the level of evidence?
- Is the patient population and setting similar to yours? Would a location outside of the United States be relevant to your practice?
- How old is the article, and when would this matter? If you're looking for trends and new developments, a recent article is needed. But can a well-designed, randomized controlled trial that perfectly matches your clinical question be a little older?
- Can you apply the findings to your practice? Does the study add anything new to what is already known on the topic?
