finding research: a beginner's guide

• an introductory guide to finding research
• some useful resources
• broadening your search
• guidelines for conducting a literature search: PDF (new window)
• frequently asked research questions

The guide begins with some basic search techniques and progresses to advice on conducting a more detailed literature search.

an introductory guide to finding research

1. don’t panic! At first you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of research information that you can access from websites and electronic databases, libraries and in-house resources.
2. what’s the question? Make sure you are as precise as possible about what it is you want to find out. What is the question to which you hope research will help you find an answer?
3. start by identifying any in-house resources – make sure you are not ‘reinventing the wheel’. Talk to colleagues about your proposed project (or your practice/policy concerns): you may find some important leads on your doorstep!
4. next search the research in practice website:
• search the whole website by word or phrase
• search the evidencebank – for summaries of research reviews on a range of topics
• search the Register of Researchers – for information on active researchers – their contact details, key publications and current projects. You might decide to email a relevant researcher with your query
• Research and Policy Updates - are produced monthly and contain reviews of research
• publications - we produce research materials on a range of topics and in a variety of formats
5. review the research material you have gathered so far. Do you need to continue searching or do you have enough information?

some useful resources

Here are a number of reliable sources for summaries of research aimed at practitioners

research in practice research reviews - Our reviews are aimed directly at children’s services professionals, allowing them to access evaluated research written up with a practice and planning audience in mind.

• Barnardo's 'what works in practice' series: (new window) - these publications review what works for children in a range of subject areas, eg adoption and foster care, building resilience. Free summary versions are available to download

• JRF findings: (new window) - JRF Findings are four page summaries of Joseph Rowntree Foundation research projects and are free to download

• What Works For Children – A joint initiative of Barnardo’s, City University and the University of York. They have produced five research briefings that can be downloaded free

• NCB highlights: (new window) - NCB Highlights are succinct summaries of research findings with selected references, or summaries of influential reports and legislation. Eight titles are produced a year. They are free to NCB members or £3.00 each

• SPRU 'Research Works':(new window) – the series summarises findings from projects undertaken by the Social Policy Research Unit at The University of York. Free to download

• SCIE knowledge reviews: (new window) - Full length and summary versions of these reviews of research evidence are free to download

broadening your search

Try our research links which are organised under different headings - databases, gateways, government research, online journals, online libraries, research organisations and evidence-informed links. 

the next step:
Once you have found a relevant piece of research, it is important to evaluate its content. Guidance on how to evaluate research can also be found on this website.