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Research Guides

SOC 210: Research Methods

Introduction

Hello and welcome to the course guide for SOC 210: Research Methods! Here you will find many resources to help you on your journey through this course (perhaps even throughout the rest of your time here at Drew). If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Visit the "Need Help?" page to learn about how to contact a librarian, as well as the other resources available to Drew students who need extra assistance. 

The Research Process

Navigating the Research Process- 1. Choose a Topic: Understand your assignment parameters, requirements, and due dates. Choose something that excites you! 2. Do Background Research: Search for news articles, top hits on Google, and encyclopedia entries. 3. Refine Your Topic: Narrow down what you want to investigate. Think about the who, what, when, where, and why for your topic. 4. Create a Research Question: Come up with a tentative question you want to answer in your project. 5. Develop a Search Strategy: Select your resources and develop your keywords. 6. Search: Conduct multiple searches in a variety of locations. 7. Evaluate Your Sources: Determine if your sources are trustworthy by thinking about Authority, Purpose, Language, Date, Evidence, Source, and Relevance. 8. Adjust Your Search: Try using new keywords, databases, and strategies depending on what you still need. 9. Synthesize the Information: Bring together the information you found to create a coherent and comprehensive understanding of your topic. 10. Draw Conclusions and Write: Based on your analysis and synthesis, draw conclusions that address your research question. Begin writing your paper, citing your sources as you go. 11. Review and Re-Search: Fill in any gaps in your research, dig deeper, and explore any new areas of interest. 12. Cite, Review, Edit: Finish up your paper by making sure everything is properly cited and check for spelling, grammar, and structural issues.

  1. Choose a Topic: Understand your assignment parameters, requirements, and due dates. Choose something that excites you!
  2. Do Background Research: Search for news articles, top hits on Google, and encyclopedia entries.
  3. Refine Your Topic: Narrow down what you want to investigate. Think about the who, what, when, where, and why for your topic.
  4. Create a Research Question: Come up with a tentative question you want to answer in your project.
  5. Develop a Search Strategy: Select your resources and develop your keywords.
  6. Search: Conduct multiple searches in a variety of locations.
  7. Evaluate Your Sources: Determine if your sources are trustworthy by thinking about Authority, Purpose, Language, Date, Evidence, Source, and Relevance.
  8. Adjust Your Search: Try using new keywords, databases, and strategies depending on what you still need.
  9. Synthesize the Information: Bring together the information you found to create a coherent and comprehensive understanding of your topic.
  10. Draw Conclusions and Write: Based on your analysis and synthesis, draw conclusions that address your research question. Begin writing your paper, citing your sources as you go.
  11. Review and Re-Search: Fill in any gaps in your research, dig deeper, and explore any new areas of interest.
  12. Cite, Review, Edit: Finish up your paper by making sure everything is properly cited and check for spelling, grammar, and structural issues.

Finding Background Information

Reference sources (encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.) are useful in three ways:

  • They provide an overview of topics, which can help sort out the shape of the forest before you go after individual trees.
  • They often identify the core writers in a topic, the voices that are foundational or cutting-edge:  use any bibliographies you find to help develop your own.
  • They save time when you're looking for quick information about topics that you don't need to explore in depth.

Consult them at the beginning of your research, and when you run across unfamiliar concepts or topics.

Questions? Need Help? Email reference@drew.edu

Drew University Library, http://www.drew.edu/library