Social Science Research

REVIEW ARTICLES

Literature Review Process

• Summarizes and provides overview of research on a topic

• Useful to mine references for primary sources!

Places to start

• Dissertations and Theses: Full Text• Discipline specific databases• CMMC• PsychInfo• LexisNexis Academic (for legal topics)• SIFT• WPSA (political science), Social Work Abstracts

RESEARCH PROTOCOLS

Outline of a research protocol

• Rationale and background• Literature review• Study goals• Study design (type of study, population, duration)• Methodology ** (procedures, measures, etc)• Data management plan• Expected outcomes• Dissemination of results/ time table• Bibliography

PRIMARY RESEARCH

Primary source articles

• Also called empirical studies• Original research conducted by author(s)• Employs a research methodology• Results based on facts or observations that can be

confirmed

Key terms to look for

• Survey• Study• Interviews • Questionnaire• Empirical• Data• Observation

• Methodology• Research• Subjects• Analysis• Results• Hypothesis

SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS

Major Sources

• General Social Survey• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)• IPUMS• Current Population Survey

• Try ICPSR for different sources

CITATIONS AND FORMATTING

Layout of a typical article

• Introduction• Lit review• Research question/hypothesis• Methods• Results• Discussion• References