PSY 201 - Research Methods Lab: PsycINFO

To show effective strategies for searching PsycINFO.

To demonstrate different tools to enhance research.

• Overview of LibGuides
• Basic Search Concepts
• Search Strategies
• Results Lists
• Record Types
• Detailed Record
• Limiting Results
• Folders & Tools
• Cited References
• PsycBOOKS Overview
• PsycTESTS Overview
• Hands-On

PsycINFO provides indexing of peer-reviewed literature in the behavioral sciences and mental health. It covers more than 2,500 periodicals in dozens of languages and contains more than 3 million records for journals, books and book chapters. It is not a fulltext database. However, links from the database to the library's journal locator will locate the fulltext if it is available to you as an Albright student or staff member. If the fulltext is not available, you can link to the library's interlibrary loan system.

PsycARTICLES provides the complete fulltext to more than 80 journals published by the American Psychological Association, the Canadian Psychological Association and the Hogrefe Publishing Group. 

The library has two resources that supplement Psychology literature.

• PsycBOOKS, a database that includes over 38,000 chapters in PDF format from over 2,500 books published by the APA and others. While you can search this database separately, if the fulltext is available, you will see a link directly from PsycINFO to PsycBOOKS.
• PsycTESTS, a database of psychological tests and measures including thousands of actual test instruments and items. For specific help in using this database click here.
  

There are dozens of tutorials on YouTube that demonstrate efficient search techniques. These are especially helpful:

• PsycINFO Quick Reference Guide
• PsycINFO Basic Tutorial
• PsycINFO Advanced Tutorial

DO exclude dissertations from your search.
DO limit to English if you can't read another language at an advanced level.
DO read the abstracts carefully before requesting interlibrary loan.
DON'T get frustrated; DO ask for help!