Graduate Courses in Education

Subject Headings

When searching for empirical (primary or original) research articles, look to subject headings and key terms for clues.

These are examples of some key words you might use in your searches to help narrow your results to this type of research. Use of these keywords does not guarantee that all articles found will be empirical research. You will need to analyze each potential article to see if it contains empirical or original research.

Keywords

• empirical
• quantitative
• qualitative
• case study
• questionnaire
• instrument
• reliability
• validity
• findings
• protocol
• method* (method or methodology)
• sampl* (sample or sampling)
• statistic* (statistics or statistical)
• quantitative studies
• qualitative studies
• Chi Square Test
• analysis of variance
• confidence intervals
• statistical significance
• T-tests
• P-value
• data analysis

Limiters

Look for the Advanced Search option in each database. If the database allows, such as APA PsycINFO (EBSCOHost), limit your search by Methodology. For example:

• randomized control trial
• meta-analysis
• clinical trial

Limiting the Publication Type to "peer-reviewed journal" articles will also prove useful.

This example shows available limiters in APA PsycINFO. Before entering search terms, scroll down to find available limiters. Not all databases in EBSCO offer limiters like those pictured below. When that is the case, type subject headings as described above in your search.