Spring 2008 - Paul Butler
Reference contact: Rocco Piccinino x2951

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Library Databases

Begin your research using this list of databases. For a more comprehensive list of psychology-focused databases, visit the Psychology Subject Resources Page.

Look for SC Links: , or use Smith's Journal Locator to access journals by title. Connect to the Five College Library Catalog to find call numbers for bound periodicals kept in the basement floor of the Young Science Library.

Journal Finding Tools

Journal Locator
Search by journal title to find full text of a KNOWN item. Only have a journal abbreviation? Look up the full title of a journal using one of the following resources.

JAKE (Jointly Administered Knowledge Environment)
PubMed Journals Database
All that JAS: Journal Abbreviation Sources

SEARCHING TIPS

Whether you are searching for books in the Five College Library Catalog, or searching for scholarly literature in a library database, it pays to be organized as you start your search. I like to break down searching into a three step process:

STEP 1
Write down as much information about your topic as possible. Answer the following questions:

• What is your topic?
• What questions do you have?
• What do you know? What don't you know?

Then, try to summarize what you are looking for in one or two sentences.

EXAMPLE: I am interested in learning more about the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. Specifically, how is psychotherapy used to help with alcoholism?

STEP 2
Using the information in Step 1, list the main concepts of your topic.

EXAMPLE: alcoholism, rehabilitation, psychotherapy

STEP 3
Now create a list of synonyms of your key concepts. Think broadly, think narrowly! This step is helping you expand your search by expressing your query in a variety of ways. If you get too many results, then you can work on focusing your search.

You will use the word lists you developed in Step 3 to create search strategies. Use "OR" between synonyms and "AND" between concepts. For instance:

alcohol* AND (abuse OR addict*) AND (therap* OR treatment OR rehab*) AND psychotherap*

DOWNLOAD this worksheet (with *bonus* search tips!) to help you organize your search strategy.

HELP WITH CITATION STYLE

You are expected to select a standard citation style and to document sources correctly and consistently. If needed, suggestions for formatting your bibliography are given below.

HELP FROM A LIBRARIAN

See Need Help? Ask a Librarian! to send a question via e-mail at any time or live (chat) during reference desk hours. Or contact Reference librarian Rocco Piccinino directly.

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