Empirical Research: Defining, Identifying, & Finding

A few databases have ways to limit your results so that you are more likely to get empirical research for your search. PsycInfo and CINAHL are two available at UofM. 

PsycInfo and it's companion database PsychArticles allow you to limit your results to only empirical research studies using a dropdown menu.

Use these instructions to limit results to empirical research:

1. Start at the Advanced Search screen (should be the default) and enter your search terms in the search bars. 
2. Look below the search bars for the "Search Options" heading.
3. Beneath that heading, look for the "Limit your results" subheading. 
4. Under that subheading there will be a dropdown menu labeled "Methodology." 
5. Click select the "EMPIRICAL STUDY" option in that menu. 
6. Click the "Search" button. 

All of your results should now be empirical research. You should still review an article for the characteristics of empirical research to be safe. 

The CINAHL database does not have a way to limit results to empirical research explicitly. However, you can limit results to what the database calls "research articles." According to the CINAHL frequently asked questions, a research article is a "research study or examination of subject matter that uses investigational or experimental techniques" that include "data collection, subject selection, methodology, discussion of results, and application, if any."

You can see a lot of similarities between CINAHL's research articles and the characteristics of empirical research (data collection, design and methodology, application/generalizability), so using this option does filter out a lot of non-empirical results. 

Use these instructions to limit results to research articles:

1. Start at the Advanced Search screen (should be the default) and enter your search terms in the search bars. 
2. Look below the search bars for the "Search Options" heading.
3. Beneath that heading, look for the "Limit your results" subheading. 
4. Under that subheading there is a checkbox labeled "Research Article." 
5. Click that checkbox. 
6. Click the "Search" button.

All your results will now be what CINAHL considered "research articles." Since this similar but is not exactly equivalent to empirical research, you should review every article for the characteristics of empirical research to make sure.