Library Research in Psychology
Finding it Easily
This information was created to help students and nonpsychologists find relevant research on psychological topics. For detailed information on using the resources, simply click on the links for more information.
Resources in Psychology
"I'm interested in the topic of dreaming, and I'd like to find an article on it. I'm not a psychologist, so I don't want anything that is too technical. Where can I find some easy-to-read articles that discuss research and topics in this area of psychology?"
APA receives many requests from individuals looking for general information on psychological topics. These topics include a wide range of issues, from ability tests for employees to research on drugs and the brain, school violence, the impact of AIDS on family members and the ways in which children learn. A variety of resources about psychology are available on the Internet or at any library, including books, journals, newspapers, pamphlets and electronic resources.
Many library resources may be available without leaving your home or office. Your topic can be easily located using the online catalog and web-based indexes or subject guides and databases. The databases are generally listed by subject category and will help you find resources in a wide array of fields, including psychology.
Some sources include the Health and Wellness Resource Center, Health Source, Consumer Edition, and Medline or PubMED, an authoritative source produced by the National Library of Medicine. Indexes such as the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature, may also be available to point you to popular sources of information such as magazines and newspapers. Consult your reference librarian for step-by-step instruction.
The Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature is available in print and electronic formats and will give you easy access to topics from the popular literature and newspapers in a broad range of topics. The index will enable you to search by subject area or topic and will provide author, title and publication information and an abstract of the article. Instructions located in the front of each issue list the magazines and newspapers they tap, along with easy-to-follow instructions for using the Reader's Guide to search by topic or author and for finding citations in an interest area.
Most large newspapers, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, publish their own monthly indexes. You can also search current issues of major newspapers on the Internet. Access to an archive of previously published articles may be available for a nominal fee.
A topic search using one of the well-known Internet search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, or MSN, may also provide access to information from a variety of resources. Specific organizations that publish information on your topic area generally make information available on their website.
The APA website is also a source for authoritative information and research tools in psychology. It also includes topics of interest to a wide audience such as ADHD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, learning and memory, PTSD, violence and more.
American Psychological Association
APA often receives calls from students preparing for their first research assignment. Often instructors will suggest that classes visit the APA website, which is an excellent starting point and provides authoritative information on current topics and issues, press releases, and position papers that can be helpful in selecting your topic. You can access both free and paid resources at the APA website.
Most major university libraries provide electronic access to bibliographic and full-text databases produced by the American Psychological Association. These resources include PsycINFO®, an abstracts database; PsycARTICLES®, full text of APA journal articles; PsycBOOKS®, full-text books, book chapters, and entries from the Encyclopedia of Psychology; PsycEXTRA®, research from outside the peer-reviewed publication; and PsycCRITIQUES®, a full-text book and film review database. These authoritative sources are used by research professionals, clinicians, and mental health professionals worldwide. Some library catalogs also provide links to the full-text journal articles, and books or book chapters in the databases.
The databases let you search by general topics or keywords. You can consult the Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms® to find the most current terms in the literature. Consult your librarian for more information.
To become more familiar with the APA database products, visit the product pages to learn more about the publications covered, search tools, and information on additional research products that may be of interest.
Which database is most appropriate for your search? The following descriptions will help you decide.
PsycINFO
PsycINFO is an electronic bibliographic database that provides citations and abstracts to the scholarly literature in the behavioral sciences and mental health from the early 1800s to the present. Material of relevance to psychologists and professionals in related fields such as psychiatry, nursing, business, education, social science, neuroscience, law, medicine, and social work is included in the database. PsycINFO covers journal titles, doctoral dissertations, authored and edited books, and chapters from edited books. Start your research by using PsycINFO.
PsycARTICLES
PsycARTICLES is a database of full-text articles from journals published by the American Psychological Association, the APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association and Hogrefe Publishing Group. The database includes all material from the print journals with the exception of ads and editorial board lists. PsycARTICLES currently covers peer-reviewed journals from 1894 to the present.
PsycEXTRA
PsycEXTRA, a companion to the scholarly PsycINFO database, supplies clinicians, information professionals, policymakers, researchers and consumers with a wide variety of credible information in psychology, behavioral science and health. Most of the coverage is material written for professionals and disseminated outside of peer-reviewed journals. Documents include newsletters, magazines, newspapers, technical and annual reports, government reports, consumer brochures and more. PsycEXTRA is different from PsycINFO in its coverage, and also in its format, because it includes abstracts and citations plus full text for a major portion of the records. There is no overlap with PsycINFO.
PsycBOOKS
PsycBOOKS is a full text database of scholarly titles published by APA Books. It includes current books published by APA and classic and out-of-print books. The database also provides access to the APA/Oxford University Press Encyclopedia of Psychology. PsycBOOKS contains the PsycINFO abstract and bibliographic records of books and chapters and the full text of the book, tables of contents, and all introductory material.
PsycCRITIQUES
PsycCRITIQUES is a database of book and film reviews. In 2005, the database replaced APA’s respected print journal Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, adding major enhancements, very current reviews, reviewer bibliographies, point-counterpoint and much more. In each weekly release, PsycCRITIQUES delivers approximately 20 reviews of psychological books, most from the current copyright year.
Accessing the APA Databases
The APA databases are widely available at colleges and universities. If you are a student, faculty member or researcher at a college or other institution, check with your library to see which APA database are available. If the library subscribes, you can access the databases online from your home, office or dorm room. Check with your library for more information.
If you are an APA member, you can purchase access to the databases and search from your home or office. APA offers the databases in a number of packages designed to suit your research and budget needs. To learn more about the databases, pricing options and how to sign up online, visit Member Services.
If you are not an APA member or need occasional access to the databases, you can search all five databases on a pay-as-you-go basis through APA PsycNET Direct, currently under development. Please check back at APA Databases for more information.
Search Help
Contact APA staff to discuss search questions or to get information about APA's databases and services. Telephone help is available Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., US Eastern time, (800) 374-2722. You can also request help by sending an email.
The Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms®
Users will find all of the index terms that are used in APA's databases in the The Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms®. Using the Thesaurus before beginning a search will save a lot of time in finding articles. The Thesaurus provides standardized index terms used for each record in APA’s databases. Definitions and information about how the terms are used; and information about related terms and concepts are also provided to ensure that one is able to find all available material on a subject. An online version of the Thesaurus is provided with most all PsycINFO vendor systems.
The hardcover reference to PsycINFO's standardized index terms can be purchased online, or from APA's Order Department at 800-374-2721. Updates to the online Thesaurus are made annually.
Training Guides
Users can find a wide variety of essential tools to search APA’s databases in APA's Training Center. APA provides print and online versions of search guides for most vendor search systems. The system-specific search guides help users with basic system navigation. A free field guide with information about the content of and conventions for use of PsycINFO record fields is also available.
PsycINFO News®
The award-winning newsletter PsycINFO News® keeps you up-to-date on enhancements to APA's databases, new features, sample searches, and articles on research applications. PsycINFO News is available free online at PsycINFO News.
You can also sign up for the PsycINFO listserv, PsycALERT, to receive a message when PsycINFO News is posted online so you can read it on the web. You may also receive occasional messages about database enhancements and other news.
For additional information see the APA Databases website.