Running head: HOW TO FIND YOU WHAT NEED

How to Find You What Need
Addie Todal
Northcentral University

In my preparation for assignment #4, I felt that this research was a little difficult and exciting at the same time. It was bittersweet for me as I felt my heart racing with adrenaline because these four key words: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder will always be a part of my life as well as my special area of interest. First, I searched on Google database and after I used keywords, such as PTSD and Psychological abuse, and while reviewing all the topics mentioned in the American Psychological Association database, I saw the refine topic area had more than 109 results and within the search limiters, all the possibilities of specialties or even more specific disorders with a more narrowing area in the site, I was shocked to see that over 3, 692,193 results were in the premium database from the 2013 APA website provided for this research assignment. I saw a post traumatic survey that I found in the APA psychological topic area which was interesting.
PTSD will always have a very personal and emotional impact on my life and with the tremendous help from my psychotherapist, I now know this is the direction, I will specialize in and help women who have been affected with this type of mental health issue. Some of the search limiters or filters that I found within the various databases, news and article citations have really used the words trauma, veteran’s and war. What I really found interesting is that most people in today’s society really see PTSD as affecting military personal, and veterans. I also am quite discourage how there is a need for education, support as well as public awareness. PTSD for me will be my personal enemy and my public crusade.

The second article citation that I chose was from the database, the RoadRunner Search Discovery Service from the NCU Library, The keywords I used, were PTSD, sexual and emotional abuse. The search limiters were scholarly/peer reviewed journal articles and full text articles. The skills that I found I had confidence in, knew the keywords and what databases I needed as well how to obtain the information quickly and the precise nature of the words for their specific context. My weakness in this area and which I still need practice in, is how to dissect the article citations for my reference material. With guidance and confidence, I hope I will overcome this fear.

I have found myself in a whirlwind of database confusion, and the skills have actually made me feel like a child again going to the library and learning how to use the card catalog for the first time and thinking that was hard back then, please, fast forwarding 40 years, now, one can only imagine how research has changed from Encyclopedia Britannica to Google and beyond. Did you ever see the movie, Toy Story by Pixar, the famous words by Buzz Light-year “To Infinity and beyond”, that is how