Empirical Research

Empirical research is based on observed and measured phenomena and derives knowledge from actual experience rather than from theory or belief.

How Do I Recognize an Empirical Study?

Key characteristics to look for

• Specific research questions to be answered
• Definition of the population, behavior, or phenomena being studied
• Description of the process used to study this population or phenomena, including selection criteria, controls, and testing instruments (such as surveys)

Key article components

In addition, there are several different sections of reports and/or articles of empirical studies relating to the different steps of the scientific method. When you see articles that include these components you're looking at empirical studies. The components to look for are:

• Abstract – A report of an empirical study includes an abstract that provides a very brief summary of the research.
• Introduction – The introduction sets the research in a context, which provides a review of related research and develops the hypotheses for the research.
• Method or Methodology – The method section is a description of 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 measures of the study.
• Discussion – The discussion section contains the interpretations and implications of the study.
• General Discussion – There may be more than one study in the report; in this case, there are usually separate Method and Results sections for each study followed by a general discussion that ties all the research together.
• References - A references section contains information about the articles and books cited in the report.

Connelly Library. "What Is 'Empirical Research'?" Qualitative and Quantitative Research, 2024, library.lasalle.edu/c.php?g=225780&p=3112085.

Use MJC Library Databases

The MJC Library subscribes to several databases providing access to peer-reviewed journals. Not only do these databases provide access to this type of material, but they allow you to limit your searches to retrieve only peer-reviewed content.

Use Google Scholar

Use Google to find scholarly literature available on the web.

Did you know you can:

• Find articles, books, and reports using Google Scholar,
• Find court opinions,
• Search by author or title,
• Sort by date, and more.

Learn more about Google Scholar at Google Scholar Search Tips

If you need materials (books, articles, recordings, videos, etc.) that you cannot find in the library catalog or our databases, use our interlibrary loan service.