Using PsycInfo for your Literature Review
PSY323 – Research in Psychology II – Dr. Kris Kelly – January 27, 2007
ACCESSING PsycINFO
- Click on “Select a Database” from the WIU Libraries homepage: http://www.wiu.edu/library/
- Scroll down the page to the “P” section of the alphabetical list, or click on the letter anchors to jump down to “P-Q.”
- Click on “PsycINFO” to enter database.
SUBJECT SEARCHING in PsycINFO
http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfskab/psy323/psyc_subject.htm
“LIMIT YOUR RESULTS” OPTIONS
You may use one or more limits at the outset of your subject search or click on “Refine Search” tab to add limits after the fact. Some limits that will be helpful:
Language ....................................... English
Publication Type .......................... Peer Reviewed Journal
Methodology.................................. Empirical Study
WORKING WITH YOUR RESULTS
- View by pub type: Even if you didn’t use a “Publication Type” limit on your search, you can still view your results by publication type. Click on the desired type at the top of your results list (i.e. “Peer Reviewed Journals”) and you will see only the hits that match that pub type.
- Finding Results in the WIU Libraries:
Journals: Click on the “Find it at WIU Libraries” button after the citation. An SFX window should pop up to tell you how that journal article is available at WIU.
Here is an example of an article for which you can either print out an online fulltext copy or find the original print copy on the 3rd Floor of the Malpass Library.
If WIU Libraries does not have access to a journal in either fulltext (online) or print format, your SFX box will instead show you links to the Interlibrary Loan service forms.
Other Publication Types:
- Book: Look the book’s title up in WestCat, our library book catalog.
- Book Chapter: Look up the “Source” title in WestCat.
- Dissertation: For 1997-present, check Dissertation Abstracts database for fulltext access. If not fulltext in DA, or for pre-1997, search by title in WestCat. You will often have to use Interlibrary Loan for dissertations.
WIU Libraries
http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfskab/psy323
Created 1/23/07 by Krista Bowers Sharpe. Revised 1/23/08.
Contact me: mfskab@wiu.edu