The 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: jjarson1 (for AIM and Yahoo; add @hotmail.com for MSN)

Getting to Know Your Topic: Selected Materials

Annual review of psychology. (1950- ). Stanford, CA: Annual Reviews.
Online Location: Online or search the library catalog by title to access
Print Location: 150.5 A615 (for 1950-2009)

Craighead, W.E, and Nemeroff, C.B. (Eds.). (2001). The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley.
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 over 60 respected publishers across 17 major subject areas--all online, all searchable from one search box.
Location: Online or search the library catalog by title to access

Kazdin, A. E. (Ed.). (2000). Encyclopedia of psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Location: Trexler Library 150.3 E563o v.1-8

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

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

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

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?

GETTING 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.

Citing Your Sources

For help using 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 (Level A, 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 (Level A, 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://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocAPA.html