Skip to Main Content

SOC 413/CRJ 4130: Qualitative Research Methods

Research Guide for CRJ/SOC 413

Using your sources to build your Introduction and Discussion sections

Introduction Section

Bring together theories and results from your sources to describe the "big picture" of your area of research project and provide the context for your research project. Use your sources to build a compelling narrative about the research trails you followed, how they build up to your research project, and why your research project is important.

Discussion Section

Ask yourself these questions about each of the sources you select to build your evidence, arguments and conclusions about your observations and interviews.

Does your source raise questions you hadn't considered or make claims that shape your thinking? -Integrate these into your arguments to develop and focus them further 

Does your source provide evidence for any of your arguments? -Integrate the relevant evidence or data into your own argument and explain its significance

Does your source take a position counter to any of your arguments? -Include these sources to strengthen your own arguments by explaining and providing evidence of why you disagree with them

What relationships do you see between your sources? -Integrate the arguments and evidence from your sources together to use them as building blocks for your own conclusions and arguments

University of Michigan - Dearborn Logo
  • 4901 Evergreen Road
    Dearborn, MI 48128, USA
  • Phone: 313-593-5000
  • Contact us