Trexler Library | Muhlenberg College

Research Methods in Psychology

Need help with your research? Contact:

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

Need help after hours?
IM the Library at TalkToTrexler (for AIM, Yahoo, and MSN)
Note: Add @hotmail.com for MSN.
Online Sunday-Thursday 2pm-10pm.
See Ask a Librarian for more information.

Getting to Know Your Topic: Selected Reference Materials

Annual review of psychology. (1950- ). Stanford, CA: Annual Reviews.
Main Collection 150.5 A615 v.1-
Also available online (and searchable). Search the library catalog by title.

Craighead, W.E, and Nemeroff, C.B. (Eds.). (2001). The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley.
Reference 150.3 E562o, 2001 v.1-4

Kazdin, A. E. (Ed.). (2000). Encyclopedia of Psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reference 150.3 E563o v.1-8

Weiner, I.B. (Ed.). (2003). Handbook of psychology. New York: Wiley.
Reference 150 H236o v.1-12

VandenBos, G. R. (Ed.). (2007). APA dictionary of psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reference 150.3 A639d

*********

AmoebaWeb: Psychology on the Web
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/amoebaweb/

APA: Psychology Topics
http://www.apa.org/topics/

Intute: Social Sciences -- Psychology
http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/psychology/

Social Psychology Network
http://www.socialpsychology.org/

Social Psychology Links by Subtopic
http://www.socialpsychology.org/social.htm

Finding Articles: Searching in PsycINFO

The PsycINFO database provides indexing of journals in Psychology and related fields from 1887 to the present. (Abstracts are included from 1984 to the present.) Books, book chapters, and dissertations are also indexed.

FIND PsycINFO

Library Homepage -- Articles A-Z (in the Find box) -- PsycINFO

SEARCH 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.

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?

GET ARTICLES

When searching for articles, 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 (including PsycINFO) have a Get It! link embedded. Click the link to check our holdings. If the database doesn't have a Get It! link, search the Trexler Library Catalog by the title of the journal in which the article was published.

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.

Many databases (including PsycINFO) have a Request on Interlibrary Loan link embedded. Click the link to fill out the form.

If the database does not have an ILL link embedded, go to the Library Homepage -- ILL (in the Services & Forms box) -- ILL Forms -- Articles (in the left sidebar). Fill out the form. NOTE: Interlibrary Loan can take anywhere from a few day 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 -- Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box) -- Trexler Library Catalog

For tips on searching the catalog, use the Help link above the search boxes.

OTHER LIBRARIES

WorldCat. 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 -- Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box) -- Other Library Catalogs -- WorldCat

E-ZBorrow. For quick delivery of books from many Pennsylvania and area academic libraries (including University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, University of Pittsburgh, and many more), use E-ZBorrow. (E-ZBorrow takes 2-4 business days.)

GETTING THERE: Library Homepage -- Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box) -- Other Library Catalogs -- E-ZBorrow

TIP: Because E-ZBorrow books can arrive so quickly, check the E-ZBorrow catalog for any books you find in WorldCat. If not available there, then request via the ILL button in Worldcat.

LVAIC. You can borrow books directly from LVAIC (Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges) Libraries.

GETTING THERE: Library Homepage -- Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box) -- Regional Libraries -- LVAIC Libraries

For more information on Interlibrary Loan options, see http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/more/ill/index.html or ask for help.

GETTING THERE: Library Homepage -- ILL (in the Services & Forms box)

Citing Your Sources

For help using APA Style, consult the following resources:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). (2001). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 p976m 2001 (at Reference Desk)

Concise Rules of APA Style. (2005). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 C744r (at Reference Desk)

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

Trexler Library handout on using APA style: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/reshelp/apa_example.pdf.
This and other style guide handouts available from the library website. Library Homepage -- Citation Guides (in the Research Help box).