Library Guides: Education Research Guide: Assignment Resources

Resources to Help You With Your Assignments

Reading and Understanding Journal Articles

Art of reading a journal article: Methodically and effectively
Subramanyam, R. (2013). Art of reading a journal article: Methodically and effectively. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 17(1), 65-70.

Annotated Bibliographies

How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography
This resource walks you through understanding what an annotated bibliography is, the difference between annotations and abstracts, the process, critically appraising the resource, choosing your citation format, and provides examples.
Annotated Bibliographies from the Purdue OWL
This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS. There are links in the left menu for example annotated bibs.
Writing an Annotated Bibliography - Prezi

Literature Reviews

How to Conduct a Literature Review: A Guide for Graduate Students
This detailed guide helps graduate students successfully find, evaluate, and manage resources for a literature review.
Literature Reviews from the Purdue OWL
This handout covers ways to organize literature reviews, questions for revision, and ways to identify gaps in the existing literature.
Literature Reviews from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center
"This handout will explain what literature reviews are and offer insights into the form and construction of literature reviews in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences."

Writing a Systematic Literature Review

A young researcher's guide to a systematic review
Takes researchers through what it is, why it is important, protocol for design, objectives, and expected outcomes, and talks through PRISMA guidelines and structure.
Systematic Literature Reviews - ISU
This is a guide to help graduate students successfully find, evaluate, and manage resources for a literature review.
Systematic Review Guide from University of Wollongong Australia
Of particular interest is step four under "How to do a systematic review," which provides users with a downloadable Excel spreadsheet to help researchers keep track of their searches, key authors, databases, and more.
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Additionally, they have search tips, define grey literature, offer up tools for systematic review (PROSPERO, PRISMA, PICO framework, SPIDER question format), and parse out information relating to social sciences. A great place to start when wrapping your head around this process.
Cochrane Methodology for Systematic Reviews
Though primarily focused on health interventions, Cochrane resources and guides are highly respected and the some of the steps may be adapted to social sciences research. They walk the reader through starting a review, determining scope and questions, inclusion criteria and grouping for synthesis, searching and selecting studies, collecting data, and all the steps working your way to interpreting results.
Literature reviews vs. systematic reviews from Wiley
This article walks the reader through the differences between literature reviews and systematic reviews. Particularly helpful is Table 1, which compares elements of each side by side.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Human Subject Certification

Research Procedures IRB
Human Subjects Training (IRB) at ISU
NIH Course - Good Clinical Practice for Social and Behavioral Research eLearning Course
If you know you are not interested in doing any original research as part of your work at Iowa State, you can complete the NIH course which does not take as much time BUT does NOT meet university requirements for IRB training.

Research Prospectus

Prospectus Writing from Yale
Provides general guidelines for writing a prospectus, as well as provides examples from a variety of disciplines.
Writing a Prospectus from Wichita State University

Dissertation / Thesis Writing

Dissertation / Thesis Home
First place to look regarding the Graduate College's dissertation/thesis resources and requirements.
Dissertation / Thesis Checklist
"This checklist will help you find formatting items that need to be corrected so that your dissertation/thesis can be accepted as the final step for your graduation."
Dissertation / Thesis Template
"Templates and examples you can use for formatting your dissertation/thesis. Another option is to format your own dissertation/thesis using the guidelines indicated in Organizing Your Thesis."
Organizing Your Dissertation / Thesis
Guide with details for submission requirements.
Information Sessions / Boot Camps / Writing Retreat
Check here for the graduate college offerings related to writing, dates of programs, etc.
Dissertations - UNC
Tips and tools from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Addresses motivation, managing the process, time management strategies, stressors, and provides additional resources.