Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Research Guide

This guide contains library resources to help you locate quality, authoritative sources for your physical therapy and healthcare research. You'll learn how to develop your research topic, then find, evaluate, and cite your sources. Use the yellow tabs along the left to guide you.

Research can be overwhelming and frustrating. It rarely goes in a straight line or in perfect order, as the research process steps may suggest. The library is here to help you along the way! If you have a question about research, use the Get Help from a Librarian tab to start a chat or schedule a research appointment.

Any time you're doing research, please be sure to read your assignment carefully so you find the types of sources your instructor requires. Check with your instructor if you have questions about your assignment.

The Research Process

1. Information need: What is your assignment asking you to find? 
2. Pre-research: Choose a topic, learn more about it, narrow it down, find keywords.
3. Research question: What is your assignment asking you to create?
4. Search strategy: Where will you look for information?
5. Search: Start with the main ideas of your topic or research question.
6. Evaluate every source you find - for credibility and usefulness.
7. Cite: You have found credible sources and answered your research question!