Director, Education Library
The Craft of Research, Booth et al.
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Booth, W. C., Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., Williams, J. M., & FitzGerald, W. T. (2016). The craft of research (Fourth edition.). University of Chicago Press.
See chapters 3-6 for more information, explanation, and examples. |
Start with Exploratory Searching
Use these sources to find information about a topic so that you can begin to craft your research question(s).
- Academic Search CompleteSearch this general database to find concepts to shape your research question and also possible keywords.
- The Chronicle of Higher EducationThe Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence.
- Google ScholarSkim through the first few pages collecting possible keywords as you go.
Move from Topics to Questions
(From Booth, Ch. 3)
p. 49
For example:
I am studying high school student desires for school start times because I want to find out how school start times affect student engagement and achievement in order to help my reader understand that school policy regarding schedules and start times should be based on student wellbeing and achievement rather than bussing schedules or cost or convenience.
Identify Research Gaps in the Literature
Remember, you are not trying to repeat what has already been done on this topic. Rather, you are adding to the conversation around this topic by attempting to fill in a gap in the research that has already been done.
Determine Concepts & Gather Keywords
Break your research question down to its most basic concepts. For each concept, think of and look for terms that might also be used to describe that concept.
Find Articles, Books, and More
Find Journal Articles - Also called "Academic Articles," "Scholarly Articles," or "Peer-Reviewed Articles".
Why You Should Use Them
- Current Information - Journal articles are typically published monthly and therefore contain current research on a subject.
- Written by Scholars - Journal articles are written and reviewed by subject area scholars and provide new research, analysis, or information about a specific topic.
- Peer-Reviewed - This means the article is approved by other subject area experts before it is published.
- Focused - Academic articles tend to focus in-depth on a narrow subject or research question.
Adapted from: https://libguides.kennesaw.edu/education
More Databases to Explore -
Click on the information icon 
to see what kind of articles are included in each database.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window Multi-disciplinary full-text database with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. Indexes and abstracts more than 12,500 journals and a total of more than 13,200 publications including monographs, reports, and conference proceedings.
- Career and Technical Education Database Indexing of periodical publications covering vocational/technical topics, including technology, healthcare, building trades, auto mechanics, sales and retail, accounting, graphic design, photography, and nursing. Searches can be limited to scholarly journals, including peer-reviewed.
- Dissertations and Theses Global (ProQuest) As the official digital dissertations archive for the Library of Congress, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses includes millions of searchable citations to dissertations and theses from 1861 to the present day with over a million full-text dissertations. The database offers full text for most dissertations added since 1997 and retrospective full-text coverage for older graduate works.
- Education Database (ProQuest) Indexing and abstracting access to over 900 educational publications, including more than 600 of the titles in full-text. Subject coverage includes: adult education, elementary education, higher education, home schooling, secondary education, special needs education, teacher education.
- ProQuest Databases Access to a wide range of databases primarily in the sciences and social sciences.
- SPORTDiscus with Full Text International journal and monograph indexing covering sport, physical fitness, exercise, sports medicine, sports science, physical education, kinesiology, etc., and contains full text for many of the most used journals in the SPORTDiscus index.
- A-Z Database ListComplete list of academic databases available from UK Libraries. Use your Link Blue account to access them.
- Research Guides by TopicComplete list of research guides available from UK Libraries.
| Find Books - At the college level, use books written for an academic audience instead of those written for popular reading. |  |
Why You Should Use Them
- Depth - books provide in-depth analysis of a topic.
- Broad Coverage - books generally provide broad coverage of one or more topics.
- Extended Research - books can be an invaluable source for extended research.
Adapted from: https://libguides.kennesaw.edu/education
Click on a link below to find all books we have on these topics:
| Find Data and Statistics - Providing facts and figures from scholarly research lends support to your argument or position. |  |
Why You Should Use Them
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Credibility - Data provide meaningful and replicable information about a topic, condition, or population.
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Visual - Sometimes a picture or a chart or a graph really is worth a thousand words.
Adapted from: https://libguides.kennesaw.edu/education
Where to Look
- ED Data ExpressExplore high-value state-level education data collected by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Kentucky Assessment / School Report Card - KDEThe Kentucky School Report Card provides information about how students are performing and progressing in each school and district in Kentucky.
- The Learning Policy Institute - The State of the Teacher WorkforceA state-by-state analysis of the factors influencing teacher shortages, supply, demand, and equity.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)NCES is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S.
- National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)Find data related to U.S. teacher preparation, recruitment, and effectiveness.
- PEW Research Center: EducationFind numbers, facts, and trends shaping the education landscape.
- Sports Data Resources (ASA)A listing of data resources and online sports statistics forums for a number of sports, available online.
- Sports ReferenceSports Stats - fast, easy, and up-to-date.
- WB Education Statistics (EdStats)From World Bank - Features education stats and comparison data from countries all around the world.
- What Works ClearinghouseFind information and research about evidence-based practice in classrooms and schools across the U.S.