A Guide to Performing Empirical and Scholarly Research by https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc Using a Literature Review on Exercise Dependence as an Example en-us 2020-06-23 18:49:26 UTC 2025-12-26 06:07:36 UTC hello@padlet.com Step 1: Choosing and Refining a Topic jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/637861499 2020-06-23 19:11:35 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/637861499 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/637868225 During my search on body image, I came across a recommended YouTube video about elite athlete Mary Cain titled I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike. I found more information written both by Mary Cain and by various sports article authors. If you find specific authors, writers, or influencers who discuss your topic in detail, check out other work they have done. ]]> 2020-06-23 19:18:18 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/637868225 Introduction jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/637881155 Have you ever received a research prompt from a professor and didn’t know where to start? Or possibly you’ve felt unsure about in which direction you’d like your project to go. If that is the case, you can follow the steps of choosing and refining a topic, searching for and evaluating information, and using information. ]]> 2020-06-23 19:32:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/637881155 Using GVSU's Library Website jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/637886793 Use the keywords from the brainstorming process, and place them into Grand Valley State University's Library search bar (found directly at the top of the website). ]]> 2020-06-23 19:38:32 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/637886793 Brainstorming jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/637889188 Before I limited my search of the literature to scholarly articles, I brainstormed words and concepts related to body image. Those words and concepts later became my "keywords" that guided my search for more particular information. ]]> 2020-06-23 19:41:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/637889188 Step 2: Searching for and Evaluating Information jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/639981241 2020-06-25 13:25:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/639981241 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640122288 In the picture above, I have the words “body image exercise” typed into the search bar. The search bar automatically places an “and” in between those words. This means that the results must only show information containing the words body, image, and exercise all together. Imagine if the word “or” was placed in between each word - the results could completely diverge from the topic. ]]> 2020-06-25 15:25:44 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640122288 Limiters jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640129381 Even with a more narrow topic than I first started with, my results were far too broad. I limited my search results using the limiter tools to the left of the search bar (labeled "Refine Your Search"). ]]> 2020-06-25 15:32:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640129381 Pause. jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640148208 What do peer-reviewed and scholarly articles look like? The picture above shows the definitions of each with examples of types of scholarly articles you will encounter.]]> 2020-06-25 15:50:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640148208 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640150680 Scholarly articles that are peer-reviewed are the best resources for your research. 
For more information on empirical articles, review articles, theoretical articles, book reviews, and peer-reviewed work, watch librarian Gayle Schaub’s videos.
]]> 2020-06-25 15:53:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640150680 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640164220 2020-06-25 16:06:14 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640164220 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640166326 Reading through over 600,000 results would be impossible. I narrowed my topic to a subcategory recurring in a few of my results: exercise dependence. With a more narrowed topic, it was easier to choose which articles to skip over and which ones to investigate further (and my results slimmed down by over 90%!)]]> 2020-06-25 16:08:13 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640166326 Reading the Abstracts jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640182800 With my previously mentioned limitations in place and my keywords now “exercise dependence,” I still had over 50,000 results. Reading through so many results is not realistic. However, one quick way to determine whether an article will be useful is to read the abstract. An abstract of a research paper is similar to an introduction. It could describe a study or summarize findings. ]]> 2020-06-25 16:24:56 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640182800 Database Searching jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640190315 Using keywords from the questions I still had, I created new searches for multiple databases. Databases are collections of journal articles placed together by discipline to provide an efficient way of searching for resources. ]]> 2020-06-25 16:32:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640190315 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640191989 As you continue your research, you will find yourself asking more distinct questions. ]]> 2020-06-25 16:34:39 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640191989 But How Do I Find Databases? jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640192775 To find a database, go into the Grand Valley State University's  Library website. Directly under the search bar, there is a research tool labeled Databases. This will show an alphabetized list of all accessible databases. If you don't know which database to use, click on the drop down subject menu to find one that matches your discipline. ]]> 2020-06-25 16:35:30 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640192775 Advanced Searching jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640244905 Using the advanced search option (on any database or on Grand Valley’s Library search) are great ways to narrow your results. The AND button allows for searches of articles that contain all given keywords, the NOT button allows for exclusion of certain words muddying your search results, and the OR button allows for searches of words/concepts that have a variety of names and labels. ]]> 2020-06-25 17:30:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640244905 Using the Thesaurus jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640252837 The Thesaurus button on databases is a useful tool as well. The thesaurus has a list of all terms used in the database. ]]> 2020-06-25 17:39:10 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640252837 Can't Find What You're Looking For? jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640253414 To find more articles for your research, use the References section of other accurate and useful articles.]]> 2020-06-25 17:39:47 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640253414 Annotating jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640256120 Once you have found articles that meet your requirements and contain useful, accurate information about your topic, you should spend the time reading those articles in depth. Annotating articles as you read is an important piece of research. One way to annotate articles is writing the hypothesis, the set up of the study, participants, findings, and main discussion points on a separate piece of paper. ]]> 2020-06-25 17:42:44 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640256120 Step 3: Using Information jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640261104 2020-06-25 17:48:03 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/640261104 Side note. jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/644269375 Your findings/results section should have multiple subsections. For example, I had seven sections in my literature review findings.]]> 2020-06-30 18:50:40 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/644269375 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/644272706 The order of your subsections throughout the findings section is extremely important. For example, I needed to introduce and define exercise dependence before I described a study linking certain personality traits to the likelihood of exercise dependence. ]]> 2020-06-30 18:55:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/644272706 IMRaD jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/644275831 While reading through articles, there is one easy way to check if they are scholarly. Most scholarly literature will follow the IMRaD foundation, which stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. If an article contains these sections (or sections similar, for example, "findings" instead of results) that is a strong sign that the article is scholarly. ]]> 2020-06-30 19:00:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/644275831 Citing Your Sources jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646073214 2020-07-02 15:10:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646073214 Direct Quotes jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646073770 Direct quotations use the exact words from a resource (quotation marks are necessary). Note: the authors and year of publication can come before or after the quote. ]]> 2020-07-02 15:10:47 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646073770 Paraphrasing jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646074602 Paraphrasing uses ideas and concepts from a resource, but written in different words.]]> 2020-07-02 15:11:45 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646074602 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646074998 The social sciences, humanities, and the field of education are prime examples of disciplines that use APA format. ]]> 2020-07-02 15:12:13 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646074998 References Section jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646075581 The References section of an APA style paper should be on a separate page. References use a hanging indent and should be an alphabetized list. The format for each reference is shown above: ]]> 2020-07-02 15:12:56 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646075581 Modern Language Association (MLA) jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646079336 The Modern Language Association (MLA) format is also commonly used in liberal arts disciplines. Similar to APA style, in MLA format, the name of the author(s) is needed with direct quotes and paraphrased information. With MLA formatting, however, the year of publication is not needed in in-text citations, but the page number(s) are if a direct quote is used.]]> 2020-07-02 15:16:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646079336 Works Cited (MLA) jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646082951 The Works Cited of an MLA formatted paper should start on a new page, and the citations should be double spaced, alphabetized, and should use hanging indents. The format for each citation is shown above: ]]> 2020-07-02 15:20:32 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646082951 What does "et al." mean? jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646089179 Whether in an in-text citation or in the references section, et al. is used after the first author's name when there are more than five authors/contributors of a resource. ]]> 2020-07-02 15:28:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646089179 My Final Literature Review jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646232791 2020-07-02 18:33:01 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/646232791 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/650992658 Even a quick Google search is beneficial. For example, I knew I wanted to start with the broad topic of body image, so I gained background information on the subject. ]]> 2020-07-09 13:36:00 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/650992658 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/651187468 2020-07-09 17:35:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/651187468 Database Location jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/651194059 2020-07-09 17:44:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/651194059 Keywords Used jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/653608587 2020-07-13 21:04:48 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/653608587 Databases Used jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/653608681 2020-07-13 21:04:59 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/653608681 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/653611416 2020-07-13 21:10:25 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/653611416 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/654223204 2020-07-14 14:33:13 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/654223204 Why are Citations Important? jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/654242214 2020-07-14 14:53:41 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/654242214 jenkijod1 https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/654257461 The Thesaurus is found in the Advanced Search options! ]]> 2020-07-14 15:11:00 UTC https://padlet.com/jenkijod1/nebad0iype8xkfgc/wish/654257461