Help and how to use the site

Note: all videos on this page will soon be updated to reflect the newly updated site

Sage Research Methods supports research at all levels by providing material to guide users through every step of the research process. Nearly everyone at a university is involved in research, from students learning how to conduct research to faculty conducting research for publication to librarians delivering research skills training and doing research on the efficacy of library services. Sage Research Methods has the answer for each of these user groups, from a quick dictionary definition, a case study example from a researcher in the field, a downloadable teaching dataset, a full-text title from the Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences series, or a video tutorial showing research in action.

User Guides

Need help getting started?  These flyers will help students, faculty, and librarians learn how Sage Research Methods can serve their needs.

How to Use the Site


The Sage Research Methods site has been designed to be as easy to use as possible. Below are some key areas explained in a little more detail.

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Search and Browse

The site can be navigated by both searching and browsing. A search box can be found on every page of the site - on the homepage it is prominently placed, on most other pages the search box is at the top of the page in the header. You can also access the advanced search page if you would like to enter very specific Boolean searches.

We offer a number of key browse options - on most pages they can be found at the top of the page under 'browse'. The options here are to browse by Topic, Discipline, and Content Type. For some content types, such as Video, Cases, and Datasets, there are additional browse options such as Video Type or Academic Level, which are available from the advanced search page, or through the related product homepages, such as the Cases homepage.

Methods Map

The Methods Map is a tool designed to help you understand how method concepts relate to one another. The map has an entry for every method concept in Sage Research Methods. It shows the definition of that term, and provides a link to the content on that subject. To the left of the term are any broader concepts related to the term, and to the right are any narrower concepts related to the term. There are also sometimes related terms below the selected entry. Clicking on a particular concept makes that concept central on the page, and shows broader, narrower and related terms for that particular concept. This is all done in a visual way, that will help users understand the world of research methods more easily.

Reading Lists

Reading Lists, previously known as Method Lists, are lists of content created by users of Sage Research Methods. A user who has set up a profile (see below) has the ability to create reading lists and add content to them. This can be done from the search results page or any content page. For example, a user may want to create a reading list on the subject of Focus Groups. They could search the site for content about focus groups and add any that they find particularly interesting to a reading list. When a list is created, and afterwards via the Profile Area, each user has the choice to make the reading list public or private. Private lists are not shown to any other users, whereas by making a reading list public, you can share it with the world.

Public reading lists can be searched and browsed via the Reading Lists homepage. On this page you can search for something in which you are interested, find lists created by users of Sage Research Methods, and access the content they have selected. You can also add the reading list to your Profile Area, so that you can return to view it later. An example of how this might be used is that a professor might want to provide a list of titles to their class that will expand their knowledge on a subject. That professor can make a list, set it to public and share the reading list with their class.

Profiles and Saved Searches

Users can create user profiles that enable them to make the most out of Sage Research Methods. Profiles allow users to create their own reading lists and share them with the world, and enables them to save searches that have returned particularly great results.

To create a profile you must already be authenticated to access content - see How to Access for more information. Click 'Profile' at the top right hand corner of the page (on tablet and mobiles this can be found in the main menu), then click the 'Create Profile' button. Enter the information requested and choose a password, and your profile will be created. From now on you can create and add to reading lists, and also save searches.

Usernames are always email addresses, so if you have an profile but cannot remember the username, try using your email address. If you cannot remember your password, follow the onscreen instructions to reset it in the login menu. Profiles are shared between a number of Sage products such as Sage Research Methods and Sage Knowledge. If you have profile for one of those products your username and password will also work on the other products.

To save a search simply click the save button shown towards the top right of any search results page, give your search a name, and click save. To access your saved searches in the future, simply log in to your profile, click on your name in the top right hand corner of the page, click 'My Searches' and you'll be taken a page that lists them. This also gives you the option to run them again.

Content Pages

Each piece of content has its own page on Sage Research Methods. Content is available in full text and is downloadable as a PDF when appropriate. Each content type has a slightly different page, in order to give you the best possible experience.

Books and Reference works have a whole work page that shows the table of contents, and any indexes available, to help you find the appropriate chapter or entry. Each chapter or entry is shown in full, on its own page, with the option to download a PDF, share the page with friends, add it to a list and so on. Related content is also presented to help you find even more great content.

Cases are shown on their own page, including learning objectives, reflective questions, and links to any related published outcomes, such as journal articles. Datasets are shown on a page that allows you to easily read the overview and metadata, then easily download any relevant guides and the dataset files themselves.

Videos are displayed on a page that gives the user many useful options. There is a transcript to the right of the player, which keeps pace with the video as it plays. The transcript is searchable, so you can find a key term and jump right to that spot in the video. The transcript is also downloadable as a PDF. Users are presented with useful data about the video - who is speaking, what is discussed, the length and type of video etc. Finally, users are able to create clips of the videos, and save them to a list, as well as being able to embed videos into other websites, such as a Virtual Learning Environment (LVE) like Blackboard or Moodle.

Create Custom Video Clips

To create a custom video clip, first log into your profile. Then select the Create Clip button under the video player. 

Enter the time stamps for the start and end points of your clip and give your clip a name or description. You can save the clip either to your clips list or to a particular Reading List.

Sage Research Methods - Books and Reference

The original Sage Research Methods product contains a huge number of Sage's books and reference content on the subject of Research Methods. This includes our famous Little Green Books, aka the Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences series, as well as Little Blue Books, Handbooks and Major Works. Our Reference works include our world class dictionaries and encyclopedias. In addition to this it provides a group of videos with some of the top research methods scholars in the world. We add titles to Sage Research Methods each year, of various content types, this normally happens for the beginning of each year.

Sage Research Methods Cases

Sage Research Methods Cases are stories of how real research projects were conducted. The collection provides more than 500 case studies, showing the challenges and successes of doing research, written by the researchers themselves. They explain why the researchers chose the methods they did, how they overcame problems in their research and what they might have done differently with hindsight: the realities of research that are missing from journal articles and textbooks. Cases are peer-reviewed and come with pedagogical tools including learning objectives and discussions questions. They can be used as a teaching tool to demonstrate a particular method and how it is applied in real research, or as inspiration to students who are preparing for their own research project.

Sage Research Methods Datasets

Sage Research Methods Datasets is a collection of teaching datasets and instructional guides that give students a chance to learn data analysis by practicing themselves. This bank of topical, engaging practice datasets, indexed by method and data type, are optimized to use in classroom exercises or in exam papers, saving faculty members hours spent sourcing and cleaning data themselves. The decisions researchers make when analyzing data can seem like a black box for students—through practicing analysis using real data from Sage Research Methods Datasets, students can see how analytic decisions are made, helping them to become confident researchers.

Sage Research Methods Video

Sage Research Methods Video contains more than 120 hours of video, including tutorials, case study videos, expert interviews, and more, covering the entire research methods and statistics curriculum. The videos can help to bring methods to life: instead of reading about how to conduct a focus group, students can watch one in action. Stimulate class discussions by assigning videos for pre-class viewing, or use a clip in class to provide an alternative viewpoint. Videos can also be embedded into course management systems for exam preparation. Through these videos, 60% of which are exclusive to Sage, students can find extra help and support to guide them through every step of their research project and succeed in their research methods course.

Librarian Resources

Details of resources for librarians are available on the Librarian Resources page. This will include information about MARC records, COUNTER reports, and other useful information.

Faculty Resources

Details of resources for faculty are available on the Faculty Resources page. This will include information about how students can use Sage Research Methods, sample assignments, and other useful information.

Alumni Access

University alumni may have access to the content hosted on Sage and CQ Press platforms through their university library, based on their university's current and active holdings. All alumni registered with subscribing or purchasing libraries will be able to access these resources, including more than 1,000 scholarly and professional journals at no extra fee. 

University libraries already support current students and scholars with access to online resources through both on-site and remote services, This licence extends this offering to alumni via IP address, ATHENS, or SHIBBOLETH through the institution's account. Sage does not have the information or systems necessary to authenticate an individual as being an alumnus of a particular institution. Because of this, institutions will need to manage the authentication process and provide alumni with a route through the institutional IP network or with an ATHENS or SHIBBOLETH profile. Please contact your designated sales representative with any questions.

How To Access Sage Research Methods

Details about how to access Sage Research Methods can be found on the How To Access page.

Accessibility

Sage Publishing is committed to providing the best possible experience to all users. If you're interested in the accessibility features of Sage Research Methods, see our accessibility guide. To request a VPAT or make general inquiries, please contact online.accessibility@sagepub.com.

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