Education (Masters): Finding Empirical Studies

What is an empirical study?

An empirical article reports on an original research study conducted by the authors. Sections of the paper will usually include their methodology, results/findings, analysis, and conclusions. 

How do I know if an article is an empirical study? Start by skimming the abstract. If the authors are reporting on a research study they did, the abstract will usually state their goals/objectives (what they wanted to learn), their research methods (what they did to learn it), and what they found (what they learned). For education topics, articles often talk about classroom observation or the size of the study, such as how many students, classrooms, or schools participated.

Using PsycInfo's Methodology filter

In the database PsycInfo, use the Methodology filter to search for Empirical Studies.

  1. On PsycInfo, select Advanced Search
  2. Enter your search terms in the search boxes
  3. Scroll down the page to the "Methodology" filter box.
  4. Select "Empirical Study." If applicable, also select "Qualitative Study" and "Quantitative Study"
  5. Click "Search" 

screenshot of methodology filter with empirical study selected 

 

Using Search Terms

You can use search terms to search for empirical sources in any database.

  1. In any database, go the the Advanced Search page
  2. Enter your keywords for your topic
  3. Add an extra search line
  4. Type or paste the search term string: qualitative OR quantitative OR mixed-methods OR empirical and set the search field to Abstract.

Because empirical articles will describe their research methods in the abstract, this search will help pull out the phrases they might use.

Screenshot of a database advanced search boxes. Line one says "topic keywords," line two says "topic keywords," and line three says "Add keywords for quantitative OR qualitative OR mixed-methods OR empirical"

Subjects: Education
  • Last Updated: Apr 18, 2025 7:33 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.gvsu.edu/educationmasters