Psychology
If you are looking for background information to help understand or explain a concept, try this online encyclopedia:
This is an encyclopedia specifically dedicated to the field of psychology.
The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology is just one ebook that might help you find background information. You can also search the entire ebook collection for more background information on your topic of interest.
Databases are full of all kinds of documents, some more useful than others for the type of project you are working on right now. The best database to find peer-reviewed articles for Psychology is:
This is a combination of primary and secondary sources focused on the field of psychology.
Search Tips for Library Databases
Sometimes the links for the topic finder page do not work. Try adding http://galesupport.com/mainegeo?pl= to the beginning of the URL. This may help!
Use KEYWORDS. You've learned about keywords in various classes at YHS. Good keywords for Psyc searches usually include the variables, important terms, and the population you are studying. Starting with a robust list of keywords will help you fine tune your search.
LIMIT YOUR RESULTS
Check "Peer-reviewed journals" and "Full Text Documents." That latter ensures you get the entire article, not just the abstract.
Experiment with the document type filters. I've had good luck with articles, reports, and case studies. Book reviews, bibliographies, author abstracts, and brief article are not as useful. Don't select those.
