The Trexler Library: Muhlenberg College

Child Development

Need help with your research? Contact:

Jen Jarson
Social Sciences Reference Librarian
phone: x3552
email: jarson [at] muhlenberg [dot] edu
IM: jjarson1 (AIM, Yahoo, add @hotmail.com for MSN)

Need help after hours?
IM the Library at TalkToTrexler (for Google Talk, AIM and Yahoo; add @hotmail.com for MSN)
Online Sunday-Thursday 2pm-10pm.
See Ask a Librarian for more information and other ways to get help.

Selected Reference Materials

Growing up: A cross-cultural encyclopedia (1995)
Location: Trexler Library 305.231 B875g

Cambridge encyclopedia of child development
Location: Online or search the library catalog by title to access

The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science (2001)
Location: Trexler Library 150.3 E562o, 2001 v.1-4

Credo reference
Credo Reference provides access to hundreds of reference works, including general and subject specific dictionaries, encyclopedias, fact books, guides, companions and more from respected publishers across subject areas--all online, all searchable from one search box.
Location: Online or search the library catalog by title to access

Handbook of child psychology (2006)
Location: Trexler Library 155.4 H236o 2006 v.1-4

The Gale encyclopedia of childhood and adolescence (1997)
Location: Trexler Library 305.231 G151e

Encyclopedia of psychology (2000)
Location: Trexler Library 150.3 E563o v.1-8

Handbook of psychology (2003)
Location: Trexler Library 150 H236o v.1-12 

Finding Articles

See a list of all databases via the Library Homepage  --  Databases A to Z (in the Quick Links box).

Check the Psychology Subject Guide or other Subject Guides for other recommended databases and resources.

SCHOLARLY, EMPIRICAL ARTICLES

The PsycINFO database is the premier database of scholarly and professional literature in psychology and related areas.  

FIND PsycINFO

Library Homepage  --  Databases A to Z (in the Quick Links box) --  PsycINFO

SEARCH PsycINFO

1. Start with keyword searching on the main screen.  Enter keywords that describe your topic. 

Search tips to remember:

• Brainstorm alternate keywords (synonyms) for your concepts. Connect synonyms with OR. Example: stress or anxiety; women or female; "academic achievement" or "educational achievement"
• Use * for truncation. Example: therap* retrieves therapy, therapies, therapeutic, etc.
• Use " " for phrase searching. Example: "obsessive compulsive disorder"

2. Browse through your results.  Click on any article that looks relevant to see more information about it.  Read the abstract, summarizing the article. 

As you look through your results, use them to your advantage.

• What other words could you use in your next search?  Look in the title, keywords, and abstract sections of relevant article records.
• What subjects could you use?  Each article has been assigned subjects that describe the content of the article.  The subject of one article should lead you to more like it. 
• When you find a useful article, don't forget to look at its reference list.  Is there anything there you might be able to use?

POPULAR MEDIA SOURCES: NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES

Academic Search Premier
Large and diverse database that contains both scholarly and news/popular resources. Includes many articles in full text.

Google News
http://news.google.com/

LexisNexis Academic
Full text of thousands of newspapers and magazines, as well as broadcast transcripts, business publications, legal materials, and more.

Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com/

GETTING THE ARTICLES

1. When searching for articles in library databases, you may find the full-text of an article linked in the database.
   
2. If not, you need to search the Trexler Library Catalog to see if we own the journal in which the article is published.
   • Most databases have a Get It! link embedded. Click the link to check our holdings.
   • Otherwise, search the catalog by journal title or by ISSN . Verify that we have online, print, or microform access to the year/volume you need.
3. If we do not own the journal you need, request the article via Interlibrary Loan.
   • Some databases have a Request on Interlibrary Loan link embedded. Click the link to fill out the form. Click Submit.
   • Otherwise, use the Interlibrary Loan Journal Article Request Form (Library Homepage  --  Interlibrary Loan (in the Quick Links box)  --  Articles request form). Fill out the form with as much information as possible. Ask for help, if you have questions.

Citing Your Sources

For help using APA Style, first consult the your assignment description. More information is available in the Resources for Current Students section of the Psychology Department website: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/depts/psychology/studentresources.html.

For additional information on APA Style (6th ed.), consult the following resources.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2010)
Location: Trexler Library Ready Reference 808.06615 P976m 2010 (Level A)

Concise Rules of APA Style (2010)
Location: Trexler Library Ready Reference 808.06615 C744r 2010 (Level A)

Trexler Library handout on using APA style:
http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/reshelp/apa_example.pdf

Writer's Handbook (University of Wisconsin--Madison):
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocAPA.html

© Muhlenberg College
Last modified: 7 February 2012