University Library > Research Guides > Psychology

Research Methods in Psychology
Psychology 043
Professor Tracey Kahan

Search Strategy

  1. Before you start your research, try focusing your topic by writing a one sentence research question.
    For example: How do moods affect a person's abilility to make decisions?
  2. Identify the main ideas in your research question.
    • moods
    • decision making
  3. Then, boil the statement down to keywords, or the most important elements of your issue.
    For example: moods; emotional states; affective disorders; decision making; judgment 
  4. Use an asterisk to find variations of a word.
    For example: mood* will find mood, moods, moodiness
  5. Then, separate the keywords with the "and" and "or" connectors (without the quotes).
    For example: (mood* or emotional or affective) and (decision* or judgment)

Finding Books on Your Topic

  • Go to the Library Homepage http://www.scu.edu/library/.
  • Go to OSCAR (the Library's catalog).
  • Click on subject or keywords to perform your search.
  • Enter your search terms in the box.
    • Subject search
      For example: mood* (retrieved 31 citations)
    • Keywords search
      For example: mood* (retrieved 496 citations)
  • If too many or too few citations are retrieved, try narrowing or broadening the terms you use.
  • Books found in OSCAR are available for checkout at the University Library. You must have a valid SCU ACCESS card to check them out. 
  • Or, if the books you want are not available at the Library, you can utilize LINK+. For further information on LINK+, go to: http://www.scu.edu/library/services/bx/link_plus.html. You must have a valid SCU ACCESS card to use LINK+.

Finding Articles on your Topic

  • Go to the Library Homepage http://www.scu.edu/library/.
  • In the Quicklinks section, go to the Library's Database A-Z list or choose a database by subject.
  • Enter your search. Most databases use "and" and "or" connectors, as well as the asterisk.
  • For off-campus access to library databases, you will need to input your name and barcode number from the back of your SCU ACCESS card.

Some good Psychology databases are:

  • PsycINFO
    This is the most important Psychology database. The coverage includes over 1300 journals in 27 languages from approximately 50 countries. 1887-present.

  • PsycArticles
     This database contains only full-text articles from the journals published by the American Psychological Association as well as some others from the Canadian Psychological Association and Hogrefe & Huber. For broader coverage of psychological literature, use PsycINFO.

  • Other Psychology Related Databases
    This page lists other databases that are more specialized (e.g., health information) or cover a wide range of topics. All will have some information related to Psychology.

If the database does not have your article in full text:

  1. Go to the Library homepage and use the Journal Finder to search for the journal title (not the article title). The Journal Finder will return a list of matching titles with the dates of full text coverage. 
    Journal finder example showing databases and coverage dates.

  2. If your article is available in another database, click on the name of the database. You will either be connected to the journal or a database that has the full text of the journal. You may have to search for the article again.
  3. If the journal is in the University Library Print Holdings, click on the link to check the Library's holdings in OSCAR. If the Library has the dates of your articles, come to the Interim Library to read the article or make a photocopy.
    1. If the article was published in approximately the last year, check the Interim Library current journal shelves.
    2. For older articles, request the appropriate date/volume in OSCAR from the Automated Retrieval System (ARS) and pick up the volume(s) at the Interim Library Circulation Desk.
  4. If the Library does not have the journal either electronically or in print, you can fill out a Bronco Express / Interlibrary Loan request form and the article can be sent to your GroupWise email account. You need a valid SCU ACCESS card to place a Bronco Express request.

APA Style

APA Style.org

Citation Guides and Style Manuals (Santa Clara University)

Psychology: Statistics and Research Methods Workshops

Ask a Librarian

Still don't know where to start your research or need help with your search strategy, try asking a librarian:

"Ask a Librarian" is the Library's 24/7 research support service. Librarians are available around the clock to help you find books and other library materials. Visit the Ask a Librarian page to view the five different ways you can get library-related help from a pro!

Created by Paul Neuhaus on September 14, 2007
Last updated October 9, 2007

 

Research Specialist:

Paul Neuhaus
Psychology Librarian
University Library
(408) 554-5431
pneuhaus@scu.edu


Helpful Resources: