How to Recognize Scholarly Research
Nelson Poynter Memorial Library
Welcome to the How to Recognize Scholarly Research learning module. In this module you will learn about:
Self-assessment activities include:
This module is designed to be completed in 20 minutes.
Peer review refers to the process that the document travels through before publication. Peer reviewed articles and chapters are considered to be scholarly research and are also referred to as "refereed" works. Peer reviewed documents can be literature reviews, original research, theoretical arguments, and more.
The Peer Review process:
What are the advantages of using peer-reviewed articles?
Most library databases will let you limit your search to retrieve only peer reviewed articles. While the database interface may change the look and location of the various search options, go to the Advanced Search Page and look around for a way to limit your results to peer reviewed journal articles. For example, in the Academic Search Premier database:
Practice searching for Peer Reviewed journal articles in the Academic Search Premier database. This is a large multidisciplinary database with millions of scholarly articles on a vast array of topics; as such it is a good database for you to use when you need to begin your research and find scholarly articles.
Remember if you are off campus, you will need to log into my.usf.edu to authenticate that you are a USF student and gain access to the database. Remember to come back to the tutorial and answer the quiz questions on your search results.
Go to the Academic Search Premier database -- this will open up in a new tab or window.
Research involves asking questions and looking for anwsers. It is an ongoing process as our knowledge and understanding of an issue, field, or discipline is continually being refined and expanding. Researchers are constantly seeking new evidence; ideas that we fully accept today may be rejected or modified in light of new evidence discovered tomorrow. Types of Research Questions:
These research question focus on what should we think? Their aim is to help us understand an issue better. Conceptual questions are a form of Basic Research; meaning the researchers are not necessarily trying to find the answer to an immediate problem but are trying to expand our knowledge or understanding of a subject
These research questions focus on what should we do? They are practical in nature and focus on what we can do to change for fix a problem. Practical questions more common outside of the academic world, particularly in the field of business
Aplied research questions focus on what must we understand before we know what to do? In these case, the researchers will have a problem, but they also know that need to understand the context of that problem before begin to fix it. Applied questions are common questions in academia and government
Original research is a methodical investigation into a subject in order to discover facts, to establish or revise a theory, or to develop a practical application based on the newly discovered or revised facts or theories. As research is a first-hand account of the systematic methodological process, observation, and analysis, it qualifies as a primary source. Research articles are generally structured in a similar format.
Abstract - a short summary of the article
Literature Review – identifies what has previous research examined, overlooked, found, and concluded
Methodology – describes the research procedures
Results – conveys research findings
Discussion – provides analysis and interpretation of the results
Conclusion – discusses implications of the results and/or suggests future directions for research or application
Bibliography or Reference List – lists the articles, books, and other resources consulted in the article
Looking to be inspired for your next research assignment? Or just interested in a laugh? Check out the National Center for Biotechnology Information ROFL blog and read about a range of query and funny recently published research articles. Just be sure to come back to this learning module after you are done reading.
It is important to recognize the many different approaches to academic research and their relation to subject and discipline.
|
Discipline |
Purpose of Research |
Research Methodology |
|---|---|---|
|
Humanities
|
To express, understand, and analyze the meaning of events, people, and creative works
|
Qualitative
|
|
Social Sciences
|
Focuses on human individuals and society. Aims to accurately explain human behavior and social organization
|
Qualitative and Quantitative
|
|
Sciences
|
Focus on natural phenomena and processes. Aims to accurately explain how the natural world works. Uses testable ideas
|
Quantitative |
|
Qualitative
|
Prioritize naturalistic settings, individual observation and interpretation
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Quantitative
|
Testable ideas, based on measurement and statistical analysis
|
|
Sometimes your professor might be more specific and ask you use empirical research articles. But what is empirical research? Generally this means that they want you to find original research that is based on the scientific method. More specifically, empirical research articles:
Empirical Research Cannot:
A few databases let you limit your results by research methodology directly in the Advanced Search Page. See:
Other databases tag research articles with their methodology descriptions. These Subject Headings may include:
For databases that do include either of these search features, you can use a 2 step process to find empirical research articles:
Remember: Always look through the Advanced Search page in a library database to see what search options are available. For example, some databases now let you search for numerical data presented in tables or charts. If you see this option, this can be a good way to find articles that present their research results.
Finally, there are disciplinary differences on what is considered acceptable forms of empirical research, if you are unsure, always ask your instructor whether you are on the right track with your article selection.
Practice searching for empirical research articles in the PsycInfo (EBSCO) database. This database consists of academic literature pertaining to Psychology, Education, Medicine, Social Work, Pharmacology, and Physiology. This is a wonderful database for you to use if you have a research topic within any of these disciplines.
Remember: If you are off campus, you will need to log into my.usf.edu to authenticate that you are a USF student and gain access to the database. Come back to the tutorial and answer the quiz questions on your search results.
Go to the PsycInfo (EBSCO) database -- this will open up in a new tab or window. Examine the Advanced Search page options and answer these questions about the various ways to limit your search results.
Try this search and answer these questions:
Go to the Academic Search Premier database -- this will open up in a new tab or window and answer these questions.
Sometimes your professor might ask you to find and use seminal research. Seminal research is a highly original and influential research publication. This innovated idea, theory, or methodology provides a basis for future research and later development. It can be found in the form of a book, article, or report.
Suggested Databases for Citation Tracking
You have now learned how to recognize scholarly research based on the specific intent, elements, and structure of research study and the significance of the peer review process. You should also be able to effectively search for peer reviewed, empirical, and seminal research articles.
As there are always various class, instructor, and disciplinary differences regarding acceptable scholarly research, if you are unsure whether a resource is appropriate to your assignment requirements, please ask your professor.
Click here to complete additional Library Instruction Modules
To return to the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library home page.
Or call the Nelson Poynter Library Information Desk:
Phone: 727-873-4405