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PHED 1164 | Dr. Gonzales

A research guide to help you with assignments in Dr. Gonzales PHED 1164 course.

Writing prompt two: determining obesity causes

Resources

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Writing Prompt 2: Research the different theories/causes of why obesity exists.

THE CAUSES -

Examine the different theories/causes of why obesity exists and explain your findings using bias-free language.

  • Students are free to write about whatever their research uncovers as causes for obesity.
  • Additionally, all obesity research projects must include the energy-balancing equation theory as a cause for writing prompt two.  A clear detailed analysis of the energy-balancing equation is expected including all elements of the theory.
  • One of the causes examined in this response section will be expanded upon in the next writing prompt (prompt three).
  • Minimum sources required is three.
  • Use current scholarly sources (within the past 7 years)
  • APA 7th edition

Resources to Gather Background Information

The following resources will provide you some background information on obesity and it's causes. Doing background research will not only help you narrow your focus, but will also help you identify keywords to use when searching the databases for scholarly articles. 

Reference Databases
Trusted Websites
Boolean Operators 

Using Boolean operators in a database is highly recommended, as this approach usually generates the most useful results.  Databases are not "intuitive" like search engines (e.g., Google) - they must be "told" how to process a search query.  Boolean operators let you "tell" the database what you want to see in your results.  

AND

Use AND to connect KEYWORDS - Retrieves sources with both/all terms [refines search]

Example: diabetes AND adult AND self-management 
OR

Use OR to connect SYNONYMS & LIKE CONCEPTS - Retrieves sources with either/any term(s) [broadens search]

Example: heart attack AND (female OR women) AND symptoms
NOT

Use NOT to EXCLUDE word(s) - Eliminates sources with the word(s) following NOT 

Example: Omega-3 fatty acids NOT fish oils 

Identifying Keywords

When you are conducting your background research on your topic, consider the who, what, when, where and why of what you are reading, and highlight or write the main points down. You can use those as keywords in the databases!

Who, what, when, where and why

Use some of the databases listed below to locate scholarly resources on your topic. 

TIP: Look for the Peer-Reviewed or Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journals check box when searching! 

APA Formatting & Citation Help Videos