Skip to Main Content

Doctoral Research Toolkit: Research Methods

Tools and information to support your success as a doctoral student.

Research Methods

The CSU Library contains sources to help you find content on methodology or examples of research instruments, including:

  • specific instruments or methodologies,
  • studies that employ them,
  • articles that analyze, discuss, or define research instruments 
  • dissertations that employ a specific methodology

Finding Research Instruments or Methodologies

Helpful databases:

Sage Research Methods

Sage Research Methods is a great resource for finding materials on various research methodologies and concepts.

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection

PQDT, a full-text resource, was purchased specifically to support your research process as a doctoral student.

Refine your search to just research specific instruments and methodologies on topic. 

  • On the Advanced Search page input: “research methodology” OR “research instrument”
  • The quotation marks will search the concepts as phrases, and the  OR ensures that both concepts are retrieved
  • To reduce the number of items retrieved 
    • add a subject into the search string preceded by AND, or
    • use the limiters on the right side of the results page to narrow by subject, language, index term.
  • Notice that on the initial search page you can limit by institution.
JavaScript disabled or chat unavailable.

Research Appointments

Click button to schedule a research appointment

The CSU librarians can support you during the research process with personalized reference services. We are happy to help you with the following tasks:

  • Accessing and using the CSU Library databases in order to create a peer-reviewed literature review with library resources
  • Using free personalized database folders within multiple database platforms to organize your research
  • Brainstorming keywords and recommending search limiters to use
  • Locating the dissertations and theses that may support and inform your research process