Check the Project Planner (Opens in new window) for a tutorial on each of the Research Stages:
Sage Research Methods Help Page (Opens in new window)
There are also Research Tutorials developed by the Northeastern University Library staff.
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)
Written content on a narrow subject and published in a periodical or website. In some contexts, academics may use article as a shortened form of journal article.
See also:
A detailed list of resources cited in an article, book, or other publication. Also called a List of References.
A label of letters and/or numbers that tell you where the resource can be found in the library. Call numbers are displayed on print books and physical resources and correspond with a topic or subject area.
Well-regarded review process used by some academic journals. Relevant experts review articles for quality and originality before publication. Articles reviewed using this process are called peer reviewed articles. Less often, these articles are called refereed articles.
A search setting that removes search results based on source attributes. Limiters vary by database but often include publication date, material type, and language. Also called: filter or facet.
A paper written to fulfill requirements for a degree containing original research on a narrow topic. Also called a thesis.
A searchable collection of similar items. Library databases include resources for research. Examples include: a newspaper database, such as Access World News, or a humanities scholarly journal database, such as JSTOR.
A book or article written by academic researchers and published by an academic press or journal. Scholarly sources contain original research and commentary.