Sociology 15: Sociological Research Methods (Van Dyke)

Reference sources, like specialized dictionaries, specialized encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, bibliographies, atlases, and gazetteers, help you answer basic questions, such as definitions, statistical information, procedures, geographic information, and overviews on topics.

SAGE Research Methods is a collection of resources and tools intended to assist researchers as they plan, conduct and analyze their research projects. Access these tools under Research Methods at the top of the SAGE Research Methods platform.

Method Maps

• The methods map appears when you search, but you can access directly.  It provides definitions, broader, narrower, and related terms and is another avenues to access resources in the SAGE collection.

Project Planner

• The project planner is part of Research Tools though it is also listed as a Content Type.  It is arranged into 12 Research Stages (e.g. Defining a Topic and Research Ethics).

Which Stats Test

• A tool designed to help you determine what stats tests is needed for your research purposes.  You are guided through a series of questions. 

In addition to being a great place to start exploring an unfamiliar topic, Wikipedia is considered a tertiary source. Writers of tertiary sources synthesize information from secondary sources and strive to report them in a tone that is as unbiased and neutral as possible. 

Some tertiary sources are cited in academic research and others are not. This practice varies by discipline so contact your instructor or a librarian with questions!

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Long description of "Using Wikipedia for Research" for web accessibility