The Trexler Library: Muhlenberg College

Multicultural Psychology

Need help with your research? Contact:

Jen Jarson
Social Sciences Reference Librarian
phone: x3552
email: jarson [at] muhlenberg [dot] edu
IM: jjarson1 (for AIM and 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

Annual review of psychology
Location: http://library.muhlenberg.edu/record=b1475826 or search the library catalog by title.

Credo reference
Location: http://0-www.credoreference.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/ or search the library catalog by title.
Credo Reference is a collection of hundreds of reference works, including general and subject specific dictionaries, encyclopedias, guides, companions and more--all online, all searchable from one search box.

Encyclopedia of cross-cultural school psychology
Location: http://0-dx.doi.org.library.muhlenberg.edu/10.1007/978-0-387-71799-9 or search the library catalog by title.

Encyclopedia of multicultural psychology
Location (Online): http://0-www.credoreference.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/book/sagemultip or search the library catalog by title
Location (Print): Trexler Library 155.8 E56

Gale encyclopedia of multicultural America
Location: Trexler Library 305.800973 V413g v.1-2

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

Handbook of cultural psychology
Location: Trexler Library 155.82 H236of

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

Examples of Reference Works on Specific Groups
Trexler Library may also have other reference works related to your particular group . To find them, search the catalog or ask for help. Examples include:

The Oxford encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States
Location: Trexler Library 973.0468 O98e v.1-4

Encyclopedia of African-American culture and history: the Black experience in the Americas
Location: Trexler Library 973.0496073 E56o v.1-6

Handbook of North American Indians
Location: Trexler Library 970.1 H236o v.1-17

Finding Articles

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

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

PsycINFO
Premier database of scholarly and professional literature in psychology and related areas.

SEARCHING PsycINFO

1. Start with keyword searching on the main screen. In the empty Find fields, enter keywords that describe your topic. It's recommended to search across multiple fields when you're just getting started, so leave the drop-down menus at their Select a Field (optional) default.

PsycINFO search tips to remember:

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. Because subjects are standardized, they cannot be searched as easily as keywords. Use the results from your keyword searches to discover relevant subjects.

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?

GETTING THE ARTICLES

When searching for articles in library databases, you may find the full-text of an article linked in the database.
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.
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.
NOTE: Interlibrary Loan can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Plan accordingly.

Finding Books

TREXLER LIBRARY

Search the Trexler Library Catalog to find out what books, government publications, journals, videos, etc. the library owns.

GETTING THERE: Use the shortcut search box on the Library Homepage or Library Homepage -- Library Catalogs (in the Quick Links box) -- Trexler Library Catalog

OTHER LIBRARIES

To find books held by other libraries, search WorldCat, a database of over 60 million library records from around the country and world. Use the ILL button to request a book from another library. (ILL can take 10-14 days.)

GETTING THERE: Library Homepage -- Library Catalogs (in Quick Links box) -- Other Library Catalogs -- WorldCat

Citing Your Sources

For help using APA Style, consult the Resources for Current Students section of the Psychology Department website: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/academics/psychology/student_resources.html.

For additional information on APA Style, consult the following resources.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. Washington, DC: APA, 2010.
Location: Trexler Library Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 P976m 2010 (at Reference Desk)

Concise Rules of APA Style, 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2010.
Location: Trexler Library Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 C744r 2010 (at Reference Desk)

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

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