CJ 4880: Qualitative Research Methods in Criminal Justice

An empirical article is a research article that reports the results of a study that uses data derived from quantifiable observation or experimentation. These articles will discuss how the study was done, what was discovered, and what conclusions were drawn. Empirical articles may also be called original research studies, research studies, or empirical studies.

Empirical articles often contain these sections:

• Abstract: A summary of the article's contents that should explain what kind of study was performed and mention overall findings.
• Introduction: The introduction puts the research in context by providing a review of related research and developing one or more hypotheses.
• Method: The method section details how the research was conducted, including who the participants were, the design of the study, what the participants did, and what measures were used.
• Results: The results section describes the outcomes of the study.
• Discussion: The discussion section contains interpretations and implications of the results.
• Conclusion: The conclusion section summarizes the research study, shares any limitations, and provides suggestions for future research.
• References: The references section lists articles, websites, and books cited in the article.

Most library databases do not offer dedicated filters or search methods to locate empirical research. Below are some tips you can try.

Few databases have a filter for original or empirical research. Check the advanced search of any database you use to see if there is a filter for empirical research. 

If no filter is available, you will need to search for peer-reviewed articles on your topic and then examine the results to find articles that describe original research. You can also add these keywords to your search to help narrow your results.

• Empirical
• Studies
• Experiment
• Observations
• Methods
• Methodology
• Interviews
• Surveys
• Research
• Qualitative
• Quantitative

ScienceDirect Journals is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed journal article database covering research in the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and humanities.

To find empirical articles in ScienceDirect:

1. The ScienceDirect Journals database can be accessed using the databases button on the library's homepage.
2. Type your search terms into the search boxes.
3. Click Search (magnifying glass).

1. On the results page, use the filters on the left to refine your search results.
2. Under Article Type check Research Articles.
3. Results will automatically update to show this type of source.

• Call: 801.863.8840
• Text: 801.290.8123