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The Research Cycle

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"Scholarly articles" or "peer-reviewed" articles are written and reviewed by experts, or scholars, in their fields.  The information is approved by other experts before it is published.  

Chartacteristics of Journal Articles

  • Usually focused on a narrow subject or a single case study.
  • Citations are included. 
  • Intended for other experts or students in that field. 
  • Often use subject-specific jargon.

Find Journal Articles

MSU Databases A-ZYou can filter databases by subject or type. 

 

              

Authoritative books written by credentialed scholars are good sources of information, especially when you have a complex topic with many historical factors to consider.  

Key Features of Scholarly Books

  • Written on a broad subject
  • Easier to read than journal articles, and written for a broad audience
  • Often undergo a peer-review process
  • May contain a collection of chapters written by different authors
  • Contain less recent information, due to the lengthy publication process

Remember: you may only need to read one chapter of a scholarly book!

Find Books

MSU Databases for Books:  In addition to the search bar above, you can search for books in any of the databases on this list. 

Information written or presented by credentialed journalists (not commentators/pundits) on current topics. 

Key Features of News Sources

  • Intended for a general audience; commonly written at about an 8th-grade reading level
  • Reviewed by one or more editors for quality and accuracy
  • Provide information on a recent event or topic of interest
  • Provide the perspectives of average people, not experts

IMPORTANT NOTE: Not all news sources are created equal! Some have hidden (or obvious!) motives or political beliefs. Do some background research into who owns the news organization to learn more about it.

Find News

MSU News Databases:  links to all our current news databases

Statistics provide an interpretation and summary of data. They can be very helpful in providing evidence of an issue or trend.

Key Features of Statistics:

  • Numbers that can answer questions that start "how many...?" or "how much...?"
  • Result of data analysis
  • Numbers that tell a story (unlike raw data, which still needs interpreted)

Find Statistics:

 Kentucky Center for Statistics

Collects and links data to evaluate education and workforce efforts in the Commonwealth. This includes developing reports, responding to research requests, and providing statistical data about these efforts so policymakers, practitioners, and the general public can make better informed decisions. 

Kentucky State Data Center

The Kentucky State Data Center (KSDC) is the state’s lead agency in the U.S. Census Bureau’s State Data Center Program and Kentucky’s official clearinghouse for Census data.

MSU Facts, Statistics, & Data Databases

You can also narrow these down by subject.