CSU Libraries > Subject Guides > Psychology Research Pathfinder

Psychology Research Pathfinder

This Research Guide is designed to be a starting point for research in Psychology using the CSU Libraries. It focuses on BOOKS and PERIODICAL INDEXES. Generally, the researcher consults books and periodical articles before searching Internet sources. For a guide to Internet resources in Psychology see the Psychology Webliography. If you have questions or find that you would like further assistance please call the library reference desk at 706-562-1492 or use our online reference question form to get more information.

Why start with books and periodical articles? Because it is the only way to insure that your research is comprehensive. Books in our collection are authored and selected by experts in the field. Periodical articles (cited in the GALILEO indexes) complete the "scholarly literature" in your field. Everything else, no matter how good it is, needs to be judged by, and understood in relation to, the body of research in your field -- the "scholarly literature."

Two caveats:

1. Expect to narrow, broaden or even change your topic all together depending on what you find in the literature.
2. Expect it to take time to find and learn to use the reference sources and indexes. It may take you time to get the materials, particularly if we don't have them "in house." Give yourself more time than you think you will need.

Books

GIL is the place to go to find books owned by the CSU libraries. You can also use GIL to find out if CSU owns a particular journal or newspaper. However, GIL does not index the articles in those journals and newspapers. You must use GALILEO for that.

Finding Books

The best way to start searching for books in GIL is to use the "Keyword Anywhere (Relevance)" search. This allows you to enter any search term(s) and see what books the library owns that deal with your topic. Remember, the more unique your search term is, the better. Results of this search are listed in descending relevancy order.

Once you have found a book or two that discusses your particular topic you can use the linked subject headings to do a more specific search.

The GIL search tutorial contains specific information on searching the GIL catalog.

netLibrary Online Books

Some of the newest books on psychology listed in GIL are from the GALILEO netLibrary electronic book collection. These books are available online rather than in the library itself. A typical netLibrary book listing in GIL will look like this:

The location "GALILEO netLibrary electronic book" and the call number ending in "Online Resources (netLibrary)" both indicate that this is an online book. You can access these books by entering the book record (click on the title) and then clicking on "An electronic book accessible through GALILEO; click here" at the bottom of the record. The link will look like this:

You can browse online books for 20 minutes at a time. If you would like to use a book longer than that you must check it out. In order to do this, you must create your personal netLibrary account. To do this, click on the "Create an account" link and follow the onscreen directions. You must create your account using an on-campus computer. Once you have created your account, however, you should be able to use netLibrary from any Internet-connected computer.

Types of Books

Reference books are a good place to start your research. They provide you with an overview of a topic or discipline, review the significant literature, and/or update you on current research. When we say "reference books" we are refering encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, yearbooks, manuals, bibliographies, etc. Most are found in the Reference Collection housed on the main floor of the library. Reference book call numbers start with "Ref".

Circulating Collection books are books that may be checked out. The Circulating Collection is located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Schwob Library.

Guides to the Literature orient you to how research is done in your field and what the significant resources are.

• Research Guide for Psychology Ref 7201 .M35
• Psychology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources Ref Z7164 .S68 A24
• Handbook for Psychology Ref BF76.8 .R43 2003

Encyclopedias and dictionaries provide background information on disciplines, topics, important people in the field etc. There are general encyclopedias as well as specialized ones in education, psychology, and the social sciences.

• Biographical Dictionary of Psychology Ref BF109 .A1 B56 1997
• Blackwell Dictionary of Cognitive Psychology Ref BF311 .B535 1990
• Encyclopedia of Psychology Ref BF31 .E52 2000

Yearbooks provide annually updated answers to questions and issues. They may be topical or statistical in nature.

• Annual Review Of Psychology BF30 .A56 vol. 4 - 50
  These reviews may be checked out
• Mental Measurement Yearbook Ref Z5814 .P8 B932
  The most current edition of this yearbook is in Ready Reference

Handbooks and manuals provide information about specialized areas of knowledge, procedures or techniques.

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Ref RC455.2 .C4 D54 1994
• Handbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Ref RJ499.3 .H356 1997

Assessment guides provide examples of tests used to measure various aspects of mental functioning.

• ETS Test Collection Catalog (3 vol.) Ref Z5814 .T3 E79
• Mental Measurements Yearbook Ref Z5814 .P8 B932
• Test Critiques Ref Z5814 .T3 T419
• Tests in Print IV (2 vol.) Ref Z5814 .E9 T47

Periodical Articles

Periodical literature provides current information in your area of research. Journals, magazines and newspapers are all periodical literature. The library has many psychology periodicals, and even more are available through interlibrary loan. The best way to find out what has been published in journals is to consult a periodical index. Periodical indexes come in several formats including paper, CD-ROM, and electronic databases. GALILEO contains several psychology-related indexes including:

• PsycINFO Index and abstracts for 1,700 journals in psychology and related fields.
• ERIC Chiefly an educational resource, Educational Resources Information Center covers counseling as an aspect of education research and practice. CSU owns all ERIC documents having identification numbers that begin with "ED".; These are kept on microfiche in the reference area of the library. The database goes back to 1966.
• Current Contents Connect An interdisciplinary database which indexes over 7,000 scholarly periodicals' and 2,000 books. Coverage is from 1997 to the present.
• Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection Index for more than 470 full-text journals covering a variety of psychology and human behavioral topics.
• Animal Behavior Abstracts Covers lab and field research on physical and social aspects of animal behavior.
• Wilson Omni File Covers many disciplines. Indexes 118 psychology journals, including full text for selected titles.

Internet Resources

There are many ways to find information on the Internet. The most popular is to use a search engine. There are many search engines available for use. However, you must evaluate the information you find on the Internet to be sure it is appropriate to use as a research source. You will find that much of the information on the Internet is not suitable for scholarly research.

The main criteria for evaluating web pages are:

• Accuracy - Is the information reliable and error free? Are sources cited?
• Authority - Who is the author and what are his/her/their qualifications?
• Objectivity - Is the author's intent to persuade or make a sale? Is the information presented free of bias?
• Currency - Is the information up-to-date? Is the last updated date clear? Are there various versions?
• Coverage - What is included? Are the topics explored in depth?

You can also use guides, directories, and subject specific search engines to find information on the Internet. A couple to start with are:

• CSU Psychology Internet Resources Page
• GALILEO Social Sciences Internet Resource Page
• PsychCrawler (from the American Psychological Association)
• Social Psychology Network

These directories have been compiled by librarians specifically to give students good Internet sites to use for research. Even through most sites included in these lists have been reviewed, you should still evaluate each site using the above criteria because web sites are always in flux and do sometimes degenerate in quality.

Style Manuals

When doing research, it is important to use the proper writing style and to cite your resources correctly. Here are some places to find information on the American Psychological Association's style manual.

• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association Ref BF76.7 P83 1994
• APA Style Tips - a limited amount of information on specific style topics. Includes links to information on citing electronic media.
• APA Publication Manual Crib Sheet
• Citing Electronic Resources (from GALILEO)