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Sociology

Print and electronic resources for the study in Sociology.

Empirical Research Articles

What is an Empirical Research Article?

An empirical research article is a type of primary source that reports research based on an actual observation or experiment.  These articles are typically found in academic or scholarly journals and will normally contain these sections:

  • Introduction
  • Literature Review
  • Experiment Design or Methodology
  • Data or Observations
  • Findings or Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • References

The sections may be combined together or go by slightly different names.  Given how much content is covered, these articles tend to be long.

If you are uncertain if you have found such an article, consult with your instructor or a librarian.

Characteristics of an Empirical Article:

  • Empirical articles will include charts, graphs, or statistical analysis.
  • Empirical research articles are usually substantial, maybe from 8-30 pages long.
  • There is always a bibliography found at the end of the article.

Type of publications that publish empirical studies:

  • Empirical research articles are published in scholarly or academic journals
    These journals are also called “peer-reviewed,” or “refereed” publications.
  • Examples of such publications include:
           ◊ American Journal of Sociology
           ◊ Sociological Quarterly
           ◊ Sociological Methods and Research

Using "empirical" as a keyword will find some studies, but miss many others. Below is a list of keywords that can also be helpful in locating specific types of empirical studies. However, if you aren't looking for a specific type of research you will have to read the abstracts and methodology sections to see if the paper qualifies (See What is Empirical Research.)

  • Action Research
  • Case Studies
  • Ethnography
  • Evaluation Methods
  • Evaluation Research
  • Experiments
  • Focus Groups
  • Field Studies
  • Interviews
  • Mail Surveys
  • Mixed Methods Research
  • Naturalistic Observation
  • Participant Observation
  • Participatory Research
  • Qualitative Research
  • Quantitative Research
  • Questionnaires
  • Research
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Statistical Studies
  • Surveys
  • Telephone Surveys

ERIC

Finding Empirical Research in ERIC

ERIC does not have a simple method to locate empirical research. Using "empirical" as a keyword will find some studies, but miss others. One technique is to search for "Research Reports":

  • Use the "Advanced Search"
  • Type your keywords into the search boxes
  • Scroll down the page to "Document Type," and choose "143 Reports: Research"
  • Choose other limits, such as publication date, if needed
  • Click on the "Search" button

If you prefer scholarly journals, look to the left side of the results screen. Under "Source Type," choose "Scholarly Journals"

 

ProQuest One

Finding Empirical Research in ProQuest One

The best way to find Empirical studies in ProQuest One is to use the type of research you are looking for on one of the search lines. See the tab on 'Finding Empirical Research Articles' for other terms you can use to find empirical studies. There is a way to narrow down document type to reports, but these will return government and non-profit reports as well as empirical studies, which can be tedious to comb through.

 

JSTOR

Finding Empirical Research in JSTOR

The best way to find Empirical studies in JSTOR is to use the type of research you are looking for on one of the search lines. See the tab on 'Finding Empirical Research Articles' for other terms you can use to find empirical studies. JSTOR has a very narrow selection of limiters, so be sure to construct a specific, narrow search. One benefit of using JSTOR is that all of the articles are peer reviewed.