 At this point in your nursing career, you've likely heard of evidence-based practice. It involves integrating your knowledge in the patient's condition with the existing research to make decisions. If Andrew told his patient he was going to use a new technique to provide an injection and not to worry, he saw it done on YouTube, the patient might not react well. However, while showing a demonstration on YouTube might be useful, Andrew might also want to cite some examples of the technique used with other patients and the successes or possible risks associated within those examples. In this way, Andrew is bringing in outside information as evidence to aid in decision making. But what type of evidence is best? Is every published item considered evidence? These are questions we will explore in this video. But in the meantime, let's start with this pyramid. This image is often used to demonstrate the various research designs behind published research and the types of sources you will encounter as you search for information. The pyramid shape is used because as you move up toward the top, the research becomes higher in quality, but the quantity of the research becomes smaller. For example, a systematic review at the top of the pyramid is when an author seeks all the research on one topic and combines it into a single analysis. This is the highest level of evidence, but they are also time-intensive and rigorous to complete. Therefore, you will find less of them when searching. Ideally, you want to find research that fits into categories at the top, but depending on your topic, the only research available may be case studies, or in some cases, available information may not even be professionally published. Let's start by talking about scholarly or also called academic journals. These journals contain peer-reviewed articles, which means healthcare experts carefully read and critiqued the research prior to publication. Andrew often relies on research articles from scholarly journals as evidence to guide his clinical work. Not every scholarly article will look exactly the same, but there are some indicators you should be aware of. For example, the authors of research articles should have the appropriate credentials, such as a PhD or an MSN, and often are affiliated with universities or hospitals. The layout of the articles will usually contain headings, breaking up explanations of the research design, results, background information, and a discussion of what the results mean for practice. Now, as we reflect back on our pyramid, as you look at various types of scholarly publications within these top-tier levels, you will notice some differences in the research. For example, a systematic review at the very top are often so lengthy, they will contain a table of contents. And in the methods section, the authors will explain how they chose articles for inclusion in the analysis. Andrew relies a lot on the methods section for any research article, because no matter what type of study, the authors should always present their methods to the reader, whether it's a systematic review, a case study, a survey, interviews, or another approach. In a Steely Library database such as CINAHL, indicators are also available to help you determine what type of research is being presented. Look for this in the brief description below each record, where it may say clinical trial, case study, or systematic review. In addition, some resources will be more useful than others for certain types of research. For example, the Cochrane Library, available through Steely, is well known for its large collection of systematic reviews and controlled trials. Of course, not every piece of information will fit neatly into this pyramid shape. Sometimes articles might appear to be professional, but aren't presenting any research at all, or perhaps they're summarizing someone else's research. When possible, it's always best to find the original research study, rather than relying on someone else to summarize. At this point, Andrew hopes you are better able to recognize quality information appropriate for evidence-based research and practice. Of course, not every published item will be considered quality evidence, but as you become a more experienced searcher, being able to recognize when research is being presented and the different types of research studies conducted will help you make informed decisions about information quality.