Texas State’s University Libraries has acquired a package of research tools from Sage Research Methods (SRM) which provides access to a wealth of materials to help students and faculty learn various research methods. The tools include little green and blue books, a project planner, data sets, reference materials, tutorials, case study videos, expert interviews, and more. The Texas State community will have access to the complete SRM platform through December 31, 2023. The SRM platform includes several research tools in addition to an extensive collection of ebooks, videos, case studies, and practice data sets.
You can begin exploring SRM by discipline, content type, or topic, or you can go directly to the SRM Research Tools. On the landing page, you can also dive right into different components of SRM such as exploring cases, datasets, or reference materials. Maybe you choose to learn about data visualizations or foundations or navigate directly to the research tool of your choice from the landing page or use the pull-down navigation menu at the top.
Project Planner
The Project Planner tool can help researchers organize their research projects. It is intended to be a step-by-step guide to help you along the way. The Project Planner is made up of 12 steps that will help you throughout the research process. From developing the research topic, reviewing the literature, all the way through to data collection and analysis, to finally writing and disseminating the final product. Each section is written by an expert in the field with links to their bio and additional works in Sage produced by the author.
All the sections within the Project Planner include a DOI for linking directly to the page so faculty and educators can place the information within their course syllabus in the order they want their students to learn the content. To correctly link to the DOI’s and include authentication with TXST, click on the Get Link box in the top right.
Methods Map
The Methods Map is a great way to visualize how methods are related. The example below shows a search for “Qualitative Data Analysis.” In this example, “Qualitative Data Analysis” is the broadest method, so the map shows you options to click on narrower or related terms.
Reading Lists
Faculty can create reading lists from within the Sage environment and add the lists to their Canvas course site. Sage curates browsable Public Reading Lists of research methods and statistical resources, or you can create your own Reading List by searching the Sage content. You will need to create a profile in the Sage environment to create and save reading lists. This profile will be different than your TXST Net ID and Password. Once your profile is created you will see the options to create a reading list and see any saved searches. After you have created a reading list, conduct a search, and save the results to the Reading List.
Which Stats Test
Take the short survey to determine what statistical method will be best for your research project.
Other SRM Components Include
- Sage Books & Reference (in Core)
- SRM Cases 1 & 2
- SRM Datasets 1 & 2
- SRM Data Visualization
- SRM Foundations
- SRM Cases & Video Medicine & Health
- SRM Video Data Science
- Big Data Analytics
- Digital Methods
- Market Research
- Research Ethics & Integrity
- Doing Research Online
Sage Support and Instructional Materials
At the bottom of the landing page, there is a page for Faculty https://methods-sagepub-com.libproxy.txstate.edu/faculty. There you will find sample assignments, a user guide, sample common courses, FAQs, and additional resources.
In the Common Courses area, find examples in the following disciplines:
- Business & Economics
- Criminology
- Education
- Health Studies
- History
- Media & Communication
- Psychology
- Sociology
In addition to the SRM, University Libraries provide access to these other Sage resources:
More information about Sage Research Methods can be found here: https://methods-sagepub-com.libproxy.txstate.edu/about
This article was contributed by Electronic Engagement Librarian Lisa Ancelet.