If you are new to social science research, SAGE Research Methods can be a useful resource to help you get started. The database contains more than 1000 books, journal articles, and instructional videos, on social science research methodology. Disciplines covered include Education, Psychology, Social Work, and Counseling & Psychotherapy.
Additionally, SAGE Research Methods has various tools that can help you with your first foray into research. One such tool is the Project Planner, which is a step-by-step breakdown of the entire process, from developing a research question to data analysis. For lecturers who use statistical analysis software to teach research methodology, such as SPSS or R Studio, there are also datasets available which can be used to simulate an exercise for classroom practice. The datasets in SAGE Research Methods can be browsed by method, discipline, and data type.
Let us give you a brief overview of the tools and collections available:
A quick look at Tools (green) and Collections (yellow) in SAGE Research Methods.
Project Planner
The timeline of a research project as shown in Project Planner
The Project Planner provides guidance through the different stages of a research project. Answers to common questions about the process are grouped together according to which stage one should be asking them in the research project. This is presented as a timeline for easy reference.
When browsing through the answers, one can also click "Find out more" to obtain a result list of e-book or video resources that cover that branch of the process in further detail. The e-books can be read online and videos come with transcripts so that viewers can follow with ease.
Project Planner provides links to video and book resources about research methodology.
Methods Map
The Methods Map is a useful tool for anyone who is new to the terminology and concepts that are used in research methods. It is a mindmap that branches out into narrower or broader terms, thereby allowing one to understand how these ideas relate to each other. One can also obtain a result list of e-book or video resources that are related to that particular term or concept. This can be useful for anyone who wants to get resources on research methods but are not familiar enough with the terminology to obtain relevant results in a keyword search.
Methods Map provides an overview of concepts and terms used in research methodology.
Cases
The SAGE Research Methods Cases contains case studies of how research methods have been employed in real research projects. Containing over 500 case studies written by the researchers themselves, this collection is useful in understanding how the concepts and methods are applied to a real-life context.
Researchers explain their reasons choosing certain research methods, the problems encountered, and how the approach could have been different in hindsight. This provides an insight into research methods in practice, which goes beyond the theoretical book knowledge.The case studies are also accompanied by learning objectives and discussion questions which can be used for class engagement.
Cases in SAGE Research Methods can be browsed by the categories of Method, Discipline, or Academic Level.
Datasets
The SAGE Research Methods Datasets contains quantitative datasets from large surveys, experiments, or government data sources. These datasets have been cleaned and reduced in complexity to make it usable for classroom exercises. Additionally, each dataset is also accompanied by step-by-step guides on how to run statistical tests on the data provided. Students will also be exposed to different types of data such as interview transcripts, field study notes, and visual materials.
Datasets in SAGE Research Methods can be browsed by the categories of Method, Discipline, or Data Type.
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To find out more, you may refer to the user guide.
Access SAGE Research Methods from the library portal's database page.