Key Resource for Research--a How-to Guide

 Visit the Project Planner checklist below for an interactive tutorial on each of the research stages. [Links open in new window].

Sage Research Methods Help Page

There also are Research Tutorials developed by the Northeastern University Library staff, including
How do I develop a research question?


What's the difference between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

Your research topic may be COVID-19 and African Americans.
 Search for information about these two topics for your literature review. Based on what you find, develop the research question-- What about COVID-19 and African Americans?

Sample Research question:
What are the cardiovascular effects of COVID-19 on African-American women, who often face adverse health and economic disparities?  (This is an actual research project funded by the American Heart Association)

Help with parts of the research process

  • ScienceDirect Topic Pages -- NOT just science. Have a topic and need to get up to speed on it? You can log in through Northeastern University on the ScienceDirect Topic page login to access all content licensed by the Library. Register for an account if you want to save searches. BTW, this system does not search like Google---If you use quote marks to phrase search, such as "artificial intelligence" the system will not complete the search.

Need peer-reviewed journal articles?

  • Find and Filter your results in Scholar OneSearch (opens in new window) for peer-reviewed journal articles

    highlighted peer review tags on a Scholar OneSearch record

Many databases provide the filter option, such as

EBSCO record with peer rreviewd limit feature

Checking for a peer-reviewed journal:

Is there a list of peer-reviewed journals in my subject?

screenshot of Bowzine subject list

Key Resources

Frequently Used Style Guides
 

Newspapers can provide current information on technology, economics, international news and social issues.

For a comprehensive list of News & Newspaper Sources, check the A-Z Databases list

Need research help?

Ask a Librarian

Need help with your writing?

Need technical support?

  • The IT Service Desk is available to help 24/7/365 at 617.373.HELP [4357] or help@northeastern.edu.
  • The Tech Support Portal is where you can submit service requests, browse the knowledge base, report issues, and more—all in one place.