SOCI 1301 (Intro. to Sociology) Prof. Paula Unger

Research Project Assignment

• Choose a topic for research.
• Use the library's search tools to help you locate one source that discusses your topic.
  • Professor Hampton only accepts peer-reviewed journal articles.
• The article you select must report on original sociological research. To find such papers, look for studies where the researchers collected and analyzed their own data—using methods such as surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments. The paper should have sections like methods, results, and discussion, explaining what they did and what they found.
• Professor Unger does not accept:
  • Summaries: These give an overview of a study without the full details of how the research was done. You’ll find them in textbooks, news articles, and review papers. They highlight key points but don’t include original data or analysis.
  • Secondary Analyses: These use data collected by someone else to answer new research questions. Instead of gathering their own data, researchers take existing data and analyze it in a different way. Since they aren’t conducting new research, these don’t count as original studies.
  • Meta-analyses: These don’t involve new research. Instead, they combine results from multiple studies on the same topic to look for patterns. They’re useful for big-picture insights but don’t present new data.
• Use the search tool on the library's homepage to search all databases at once. View the videos below to learn to conduct research in individual databases. The Database Research Sprint at the bottom of the page will teach you advanced research techniques. (Use the arrow on the right side of that box to navigate through the pages of the sprint.)
• If you have trouble finding appropriate articles, ask an MCC librarian for help by stopping by the library or by using the links in the "Get Research and Citation Help" box on this page.

Watch the video below before visiting single databases to help you understand how they work.

Databases that contain research related to many different fields:

You learned the basics of library research on the "How to Begin" page of this guide, but you need to understand more to get the best results! Check out the slideshow below to learn more. (Use the arrow on the right side of the page to navigate, and turn on your volume to hear the narration.)

Are you struggling to find research materials, use our library databases, or write citations and references? Our research librarians can help!

Just need a little help? Visit the Learning Commons' third-floor desk in the Learning Technology Center (LTC), or contact us via live chat or email. You can also call us at 254-299-8325.

Need a lot of help? Schedule a research consultation with one of our research librarians. It's their job to help you succeed!

Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Academic Support and Tutoring (AST) provides free tutoring to MCC students (including writing and citation assistance) and free support and tutorials for college-related software.

AST offers in-person support in the Learning Commons, located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Learning Technology Center (LTC). You can also reach out to AST via phone, Zoom, or email.

Use the link above to learn more about AST and locate its contact information and hours. 

Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.