SOC 240 Library Blog

Not all peer-reviewed articles are studies in which the author used a methodology. Make sure the ones you choose do have a section that discusses the research method. You can often tell from the abstract/summary of the article. The abstract will refer to the study, its variables, and/or its method of research.

One little search trick that can help, although it can unwittingly eliminate some excellent articles in the process, is to “and” in the term method* (yes, that is an asterisk that allows for any ending on the root of the word) along with the rest of your and-ed search. In addition, choose to search this term method* in TEXT, if citation/abstract doesn’t do anything. Please mind my caveat above: it is a lazy approach, but more so, it might mean some really good articles get left out of your search because not all articles have their TEXT in the database.

 

Put references you find from database searches into your own database in RefWorks and use it (and Write-N-Cite) to insert anatomically correct citations within the text of your paper and automatically compile the bibliography/works cited for your term papers!  Choose any citation style you wish from APA to ASA to MLA.  Think of the lives that will be saved!  Learn RefWorks!