PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH GUIDE

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Journals about Psychology

The Oviatt Library subscribes to 25,000 academic journals, either in print or online, or both formats. There are several ways to access them:

• Start at the Library Catalog and do a PERIODICAL TITLE search. For example, typing "psychology" will retrieve a list of journals with those words in the title. Online journals are indicated by "online" or "electronic resource" (same thing).  Click on the title link for the call number of a print journal, or to access the full-text of an online journal.
• Start at the Library Catalog and do a KEYWORD search. After typing in a word or phrase, open the Limit to: pull-down menu and switch from Entire Collection to Periodicals/Serials. This retrieves journals whose content is closely related to your keywords, in addition to those with those keywords in the title.
• To browse Library online journals only, click CSUN List of Electronic Periodicals at the bottom of the page. Then do a KEYWORD or TITLE search, or click on a letter for an alphabetical list of e-journals.

Databases of Journal Articles

The best way to find articles on a specific topic is to search in a database, most of which index thousands of articles in hundreds of journals. Not all articles are available full-text online; some are in print only and some are not available from the Library except through interlibrary loan. To determine the availability of an article, click  or Full Text.

Below are a few recommended databases for Psychology. They can be accessed either from Databases A-Z or from the Find Articles and Research Data on the Library's homepage. All databases require a valid CSUN ID and password to use off-campus.

• PsycINFO -– the premiere database for psychology and related fields, produced by the American Psychological Association. 98% of articles are from peer-reviewed journals. Coverage goes back to the 1800s. Provided through the EBSCO interface. More information about PsycINFO, see http://www.apa.org/psycinfo/about/.
• PsycARTICLES -- database of full-text articles from journals published by the American Psychological Association. Much narrower coverage than PsycINFO, with only 60 journals (see Coverage list) compared to 2,250 in PsycINFO. Also provided through EBSCO.

• ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) -- from the U.S. Department of Education. Available through the EBSCO, CSA or FirstSearch interfaces.
• PubMed/MEDLINE -- premiere database for medicine, produced by the National Library of Medicine. Also covers health administration, psychology, nursing, allied health fields and health education. Available through the FirstSearch or PubMed interface.

There is a webpage with general instruction on using EBSCO databases, as well as an online tutorial. Many databases have online user guides; simply click on the next to its name on the Databases A-Z list. For help in searching databases, contact the Psychology librarian or visit the Oviatt Library reference desk.

Searching Tips and Tricks

When searching databases, the goal is to find a small number (e.g. 10-30) of articles relevant to your topic. Here are some tips for improving your search results:

• Most databases allow you to choose a date range, so you can limit the search to recently-published articles only.
• Most allow you to choose English articles only, which can further reduce your results.
• Many also allow you to limit your results to peer-reviewed journals, which contain high-quality scholarly articles.
• In keyword searching, a truncation symbol (usually *) expands your search by including various forms of a root word, e.g. adolescen* retrieves adolescent, adolescents, and adolescence.
• Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) serve to either narrow or expand your search: OR expands it by including synonyms or related terms (e.g. adolescen* OR teen*); AND narrows it by finding the subset of articles that contain both search terms you want (exercise AND obesity); NOT narrows your search by eliminating articles that contain a specific term you do not want (child abuse NOT neglect). An easy way to remember the difference is the rhyme OR gives you MORE, while the other two operators give you less (although they may be better results).

Experimental Psychology (PSY 321)

See the web page for PSY 321, which shows how to search PsycINFO for journal articles reporting on original research studies.

Testing Instruments

The CSUN Department of Psychology keeps a collection of psychological tests in Sierra Hall 333G. For access to the collection, contact the department's Research Coordinator at 818-677-2815. The Library does not keep any psychological tests but does have databases (e.g. PsycINFO) and reference books with descriptions, reviews and critiques of testing instruments. Some of the print resources are located behind the reference desk on Table 7:

For more books and journals about testing, use the Library Catalog to do a SUBJECT search with the terms Psychological tests or Psychometrics. For more information about testing instruments, see the webpage Library Resources for EPC 601: Individual and Group Assessment.

Additionally, there is a useful Web site for finding information about tests: Test Reviews Online. A searchable database of 4000 commercially-available tests, 2500 of which have been reviewed. Brief descriptions are free but online reviews cost $15. To save money, use this Web site to see if reviews are available for your test of interest, note the year/edition, then photocopy reviews from the Mental Measurements Yearbook at the Oviatt Library on Table 7.

Web Sites

In addition to books and journals, Web sites can be a valuable source of information as long as you use sound judgment. For guidance in choosing Internet sources, see Evaluating Print & Internet Resources. The following websites are offered for your perusal:

• American Psychological Association (http://www.apa.org/) is the producer of PsycINFO and other literature databases, over 50 journals, countless books and, of course, the APA writing style guide. With 150,000 members, it is the largest association of psychologists worldwide. There is a webpage specifically for students (http://www.apa.org/students/) which includes a free online job bank. Student membership in APA is $43 a year for graduate students and $27 for undergraduates.
• MedlinePlus (http://medlineplus.gov/), from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Excellent source of consumer-level information on diseases and conditions, including many mental health issues. Also provides links to MEDLINE searches, a medical encyclopedia and dictionary, Spanish-languange materials, prescription and nonprescription drug information, and numerous links to other websites. 

For more psychology-related web sites, see http://library.csun.edu/psy/PSYWebSites.html

Writing Guides

The Library has a Sample Style Sheet for APA Bibliographic Citations (PDF).  In addition, there are many books to help you write and format your papers in APA style. The best-known of these is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, BF76.7.P83 2001. Copies are available for use in the library at various locations: first floor Reference Room shelf, Reference Desk, second floor Reserve Room shelves, and Reserve Desk. Other useful books are:

• Concise rules of APA style   BF76.7 .C66 2005  behind Reference Desk. This new easy-to-use pocket guide, at $26.95 is less expensive than other formats http://www.apastyle.org/
• Pocket guide to APA style   BF76.7 .P426 2004  behind Reference Desk
• World's easiest guide to using the APA   BF76.7.A52 2002 Reference Room shelves
• How to prepare a research article in APA style   BF76.7.A54 2002 Reference Room shelves

Note: As a researcher and writer, it is your responsibility to obey U.S. copyright laws and CSUN's plagiarism policy. Plagiarism is defined as "intentionally or knowingly representing the words, ideas, or work of another as one’s own in any academic exercise." Read the Library's webpage Why cite? Avoiding plagiarism.

Books about Psychology

Browsing: Most psychology books are located in the Library of Congress call number BF on the second floor of the Oviatt Library. Remember to look also in the first floor Reference Room, although reference books (with green dot) cannot be checked out. Because psychology is broad in scope and intersects with many disciplines, you may want to browse books in other sections as well. Here are some related disciplines and their call numbers:

• Abnormal psychology – RC 512-571
• Educational psychology -- LB 1051-1091
• Human factors – TA 167
• Industrial psychology -- HF 5548.8
• Physiological psychology -- QP 351-495
• Psychotherapy – RC 475-510
• Statistics/correlation -- QA 278
• Social psychology – HM 251-291

Searching:  Use the Library Catalog to find books on a topic. If you don't know a specific title, then start with a KEYWORD search, e.g. "play". From the list of titles displayed, click on any one for more information. From here, you may switch to a SUBJECT search by clicking the links listed alongside Subject, e.g. Play therapy or Play--Psychological aspects. This will take you to a list of relevant Library of Congress subject headings which you may also want to explore. (Read more about Finding Books Using the Library of Congress Classification.) To determine if a particular book is available, look under Status. A due date will appear if the book is currently checked out. To be notified when a book is returned, click the Place a Hold button at the bottom.

Reference: Here is a sampling of psychology-related reference books. All are in the Reference Room of the Oviatt Library unless otherwise noted. None can be checked out but some are also available online. Electronic books have no call numbers and must be accessed through the Library Catalog (requires a valid ID number if accessing from off-campus).

• Annual review of psychology [electronic resource] / 1950-current. (Also available in print in second floor stacks: BF30 .A56 )
• Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science / co-editors, Craighead & Nemeroff. (4 vol) BF31 .E52 2001 
• Dictionary of biological psychology / edited by Philip Winn.  QP360 .D52 2001 
• Dictionary of psychology / Andrew M. Colman  BF31 .C64 2001 
• Encyclopedia of psychology / Alan E. Kazdin, editor in chief.  BF31 .E526 2000 (8 vol)
• Gale encyclopedia of mental disorders [electronic resource] / Ellen Thackery and Madeline Harris, editors
• Gale encyclopedia of psychology [electronic resource] / Bonnie Strickland, executive editor. (also available in print: BF31 .G35 2001)
• Graduate study in psychology / American Psychological Association.  BF77 .G73 39th ed. 2006  Table 6
• Handbook of child psychology / editors-in-chief, William Damon and Richard M. Lerner. 2006 BF721 .H242 2006 (4 vol)
• Handbook of health psychology / [edited by] Andrew Baum, Tracey A. Revenson, Jerome E. Singer.  R726.7 .H3645 2001
• Handbook of psychology / Irving B. Weiner BF121 .H1955 2003 (6 vol)
• Library use : handbook for psychology / Jeffrey G. Reed and Pam M. Baxter. BF76.8 .R43 2003
• The Praeger handbook of education and psychology / edited by Joe L. Kincheloe and Raymond A. Horn, Jr. ; Shirley R. Steinberg, associate editor. LB1051 .P635 2007 (4 vol) Reference Room
• Steven's handbook of experimental psychology / editor-in-chief, Hal Pashler BF181 .H336 2002 (4 vol)

Recommend Books and Videos

The Oviatt Library is always looking for materials to add to its collection. If you discover a book that would support the psychology curriculum, please forward the title and author to eric.garcia@csun.edu.

Also, if you see a high-quality video or DVD in psychology or related areas, please let us know that too. Use the online Video/DVD Purchase Recommendation Form and include distributor information, if possible.

More Information about the Library

• Read the Library's webpage How to do Library & Internet Research
• For help finding Library materials, come to the Reference Desk (but first check Hours of Service )
• Get a virtual answer to your question (same day) by Email or Live Chat (real time)
• Browse the Student Guide to the Oviatt Library (large PDF)
• Faculty: discover the array of Services for Faculty and browse the Faculty Guide to the Oviatt Library (large PDF)
• Users with disabilities: discover Oviatt Library's Services for Users with Disabilities
• The Oviatt Library has a MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/oviatt_library

Psychology Librarian

Eric Garcia is the librarian for the CSUN Department of Psychology. His home page is http://library.csun.edu/egarcia/. Contact him at eric.garcia@csun.edu or 818-677-6809.

Links were last checked on 8/20/07.

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