Qualitative Research Methodology

It is always possible to limit your search with the publication type (PT) field and enter the numerical designations for reports in one search box and your topic in another box.  As mentioned earlier, these are 140-143 and designate research reports described as general, descriptive, evaluative, and research.  Another way is to search the thesaurus with the phrase Qualitative Research.  This presents a list of broader and related terms that are used to describe the research methodology used in an article.  Searching on any of these terms, either as a keyword or as descriptor, along with your topic will retrieve items demonstrating different types of qualitative methodology.

Using the same phrase, Qualitative Research, in the PsycINFO thesaurus presents a list that can be used as described above with ERIC.  The difference in PsycINFO centers on a field designation that is not used in ERIC.  The methodology (ME) field can be used in two places when searching PsycINFO.  The first option is on the search screen under the limits section.  The word Methodology appears along side a drop down box of selections.  Scrolling through the selections presents the various ways research methodologies are identified in the article literature.  The phrase, Qualitative Study, is listed here and can be used to limit your search results.  The second option is to designate one search box to search on the ME field with the phrase qualitative study and to use another box for the research topic.  This limits your search in the same way.

This resource also has its own thesaurus and entering the word qualitative brings forth an entry for the phrase educational research/methodology with a number of subtopics underneath.  Decide on a term or phrase and then enter it in one of the search boxes in the advanced search screen, leaving it at either the All-Smart Search or subject field designation in the corresponding drop down box.  Enter your research topic in another box and click on the Start button to retrieve article references.

The best way to find research studies is to simply search your topic along with a distinct type of research.  An example is:  <language acquisition> and <case stud*>.  The * is used to truncate the word and search for different endings.