David has also created an interactive guide to ‘The Anatomy of a Journal Article‘, which is a useful starting point for anyone who is not used to reading journal articles. Other, more in-depth, guides to reading academic work include: Greenhalgh’s book, How to Read a Paper (available in Augustine House Library and The Drill Hall Library), and Keshav’s article (also imaginatively titled ‘How to Read a Paper‘).

Of course, textbooks are also useful when doing research. However, be aware that their contents are likely to go out of date much faster than the content of a journal article, as they take longer to write and publish.

To find books about research methods, have a look at the following classmarks:

152.72 (Research methods in psychology)
301.72 (General books about research methods)
340.072 (Research methods in law)
370.721 (Research methods for Education)
610.72 (Research methods in health)
792.0721 (Research methods for theatre and performance)

These are just a few examples. You may see a pattern! To find research methods in other subjects, search in LibrarySearch. You could search for ‘research methods nursing’, or ‘research social sciences’, for example.

When you’re searching for literature, it’s a good idea to keep a record of your search (i.e. the search terms you’ve used and where you’ve looked), and to ensure that you fully and accurately reference any sources you use in your work. You may find it useful to use a reference management tool, such as RefWorks (available via ‘Find Databases’ on LibrarySearch), to do this.

We hope you’ve found this guide useful. For more information, please contact your Learning & Research Librarian.

Library Guide - Research Methods