What does SAGE Research Methods do?
SAGE Research Methods is an online collection of books and other full-text materials that provide authoritative information and multi-media on how to perform hundreds of research methods. The how-tos for carrying out every step of your research project are here.
If you're looking for |
Try |
|---|---|
| A quick explanation of a term or concept | Dictionary or Encyclopedia entry |
| In-depth coverage of a specific aspect of a method | Whole books (Little Green and Little Blue Books can be especially useful for method overviews) |
| In-depth coverage of a specific aspect of a method | Book chapters that hone in on that topic |
| Actual examples of methods applied in real research context | Journal articles or Cases |
| Sample datasets for hands-on practice or to use in assignments or exams | Datasets |
| Methods in action | Video |
The Research Process
- Write a Research Question—Students often have a good research topic, but sometimes need help refining their research question. A quick search on SAGE Research Methods gives them info on what makes a good, testable research question.
- Conduct a Literature Review—SAGE Research Methods includes info on how to conduct a literature review, as well as how to write up the results.
- Choose a Method—The video “How do I choose between different research methods” with Stephen Gorard talks about how to select the right method for their research.
- Dictionary and Encyclopedia entries are a great way to get a quick introduction to a method and narrow down the best means of testing their research question.
- SAGE Research Methods Cases can also help select methods. Students can search case studies for research questions similar to theirs and use the same or similar methodology.
- Gather, Analyze, and Present the Data—The many book titles on particular methods equip students to gather and analyze their data, and case studies can show them the obstacles and questions that can often arise in the course of a project to help them anticipate these twists.
- Dissemination—SAGE Research Methods has resources on writing up research findings, completing a dissertation, and submitting work for publication.
Research Tools
SRM aims to be a research methods toolkit for any potential methods/statistical problem.
The Methods Map is a visual representation of how methods, terms and concepts are related to each other. You will find a definition of the term at the top with a link to the relevant content. You can also view narrower terms to the right and broader terms to the left and see related terms by clicking on the bubble at the bottom. The Methods Map tracks your recent history so you can backtrack your searches.
Faculty can use the Reading Lists to find potential resources to support a course/module, without having to start from scratch. Reading Lists provide a way for you to save mini-collections of selected books, book chapters, and journal articles for later review or to share with colleagues and students. Reading Lists are also useful if you’re about to start working on a new method for your dissertation or research and need to build up your knowledge. You can browse Reading Lists by specific method or by discipline.
The Project Planner organizes content in a linear fashion, by each step of the research process, starting with the philosophy of research all the way to dissemination of findings. It serves as a step-by-step guide throughout any research project. Maybe you're at the start of a project and you want to learn about how to define your topic, or maybe you're at the end of your project and are starting to write an article about your research.
Knowing which test to use for your data can be tricky. The Which Stats Test helps guide you in the best direction. The feature provides you with a series of multiple choice questions about the information you are collecting to determine which type of statistical test may be used to analyze the data. You will be asked questions around key decision points like:
- Purpose of your analysis
- What you want to do with your data
- What measurement levels your variables are, and then suggests a test
Go to Which Stats Test?
