May 2012

The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a new website, e-Source, to serve as a central resource on research methods for social and behavioral scientists in public health.

The e-Source website includes 20 chapters in five key areas: Setting the Scene, Describing How, Explaining Why, What Works, and Emerging Issues. Along with explanations of social science research methods, the chapters contain interactive exercises that test a scientist’s understanding of the information read (see an example). References are also embedded to allow scientists to gain knowledge from the primary sources. A discussion forum provides social scientists with an opportunity to interact with others and pose questions on research methods.

According to NIH, e-Source is not meant to serve solely as a foundation for research methods. New topics may be featured as the need arises.