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SWK 300 - Social Work Research

Empirical Articles

An empirical research article reports the results of a study that uses data derived from actual observation or experimentation. It often includes the following sections:

  • Abstract: a description of what the study includes, usually in one paragraph length.
  • Introduction: includes a statement of the hypotheses for the research and a review of other research on the topic.
  • Method: a description of how the research was conducted, such as: who are participants, design of the study, what the participants did, and what measures were used
  • Results: report the outcomes of the study.
  • Discussion: implication, significance, or limitations of the study.
  • References: a list of works cited in the study

Empirical studies often include charts, graphs, or statistical analysis and are published​ in scholarly/ academic journals, also called “peer-reviewed,” or “refereed” journals.  Articles published in these journals are often written by scholars or experts in academic or professional fields, and go through a strict evaluation/ review process before getting published.

Search Strategies in the following Databases

Limit your search terms to methodology OR methods