HECL 202 - Introduction to Research Methods

This guide was created by the University of Arizona Libraries to support students in HECL 202 – Introduction to Research Methods. It provides resources aligned with your homework assignment in the syllabus, helping you build research skills as you move through the course. Use it to find tips, tutorials, and recommended tools for your assignment.

Library support:

• Searching the library website.
• UAL Library: Student Guide to ChatGPT
• Searching library databases such as PsycINFO, ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, and Academic Search Complete to find peer-reviewed scholarly sources.
• Using advanced search strategies (keywords, subject terms, Boolean logic).
• Using Interlibrary Loan (ILL) if University of Arizona Libraries doesn’t have the full text.
• If you need additional support, reach out using chat, email, visit us during drop-in hours, or make an appointment for a consultation. 

Writing Center Support:

• Help with APA citation style and references formatting.
• UA Writing Center | Think Tank

Select 5 academic research (scholarly) article sources you will use to write the introduction.

Article Guidelines:

• Current: 2015 or more recent
• Published in recognized academic research journals. Examples of acceptable journals include: Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Child Development, Journal of Research on Adolescence, etc. Websites, popular media sources or textbooks are NOT acceptable.
• At least 4 of the 5 articles must be original reports of research studies, not reviews of the literature or theoretical pieces. Original empirical articles include a method section with a description of the participants.

Required Material to Turn in:

1. APA style references section that includes full citations for all of your references. 
2. The complete research articles in PDF format: If full text articles are not available online and the UA library does not have a hardcopy of the journal, then request the article through interlibrary loan. 

Assigned UA Library Tutorials:

• Tutorial 1: How Do I Evaluate Online Material (20 min)
• Tutorial 2: Popular vs. Scholarly Source (3 minutes)
• Tutorial 3: Anatomy of A Scholarly Article (2 minutes)